'Erinyes' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the word 'Ἐρινύες' (Erinúes), plural of 'Ἐρινύς' (Erinýs), where the root 'ἔρι-' / 'erín-' was associated with anger, rage, or vengeance.

'Erinýes' came into Latin and later classical scholarship as 'Erinyes' and entered English as a learned borrowing from Greek (via Latin and Renaissance classical studies); the term has been used in translations of Greek tragedy and in literary contexts alongside the Latin-derived 'Furies' and the alternative Greek name 'Eumenides'.

Initially it referred specifically to the mythological avenging goddesses; over time the word has retained that sense but has also acquired a figurative use to describe people or forces that punish, harass, or prosecute relentlessly.