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herculean

herculean

11 8.4
Very difficult and needing great strength or effort
  • adjective
  • /hɜrˈkjuːliən/
  • Formal
translation icon : hercúleo
  • Given the incredible scale of the Yosemite Valley, this was a Herculean effort by each of them.
  • Herculean task
  • herculean effort
  • herculean strength

So heating and cooling the structure was like a herculean lift.

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Examples

  • Establishing the initiative's true costs, beyond the government's misleadingly low figures, was a Herculean task.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Staying awake in their one-way-directed lecture classes required Herculean strength (or lots of coffee).

    Blog text (2)
  • And, and so you have to think about the, the, the Herculean task that this machine has to accomplish.

  • And she approaches this Herculean task through the gentle art of storytelling.

    Academic text (1996)
  • For students, navigating the thought from head to fingers is sometimes a Herculean task.

    Academic text (2012)
  • "Without the magnification, it would require a Herculean effort to observe this galaxy."

    Blog text (5)
  • Certainly for the novice retoucher, this would seem like a Herculean task, one that may be too much, but the challenge is what makes it fun.

  • Coordinating across the entire U.S. government and uniting the activities of disparate civilian agencies is a "Herculean task" at best.

    Academic text (2013)
  • As tour guide Seth Kamil can attest, this electric chair is linked to an unforgettable tale of greed, determination, and Herculean resilience.

  • Completing the marathon was a herculean task that tested the limits of his endurance.

Synonyms

arduous
vsherculean
29 7.7

Very difficult to do and needing a lot of effort over a long time

is more about requiring great strength or courage than long duration
heroic
vsherculean
7 4.2

Is very large and impressive in size or purpose

is about extreme difficulty and the need for great strength or courage
demanding
vsherculean
4.1

Needing a lot of time, effort, or attention

is stronger needing exceptional effort and sometimes courage

Antonyms

1.0

Not hard to do, understand, or achieve

1.0

Easy to understand or do

How Difficult

herculean
  • Formal
11 8.4
arduous
29 7.7
difficult
1.6
challenging
183 4.4
easy
1.0

Surface Forms

herculean positive

Morphology

herculean = Hercules (semi-transparent) = Hercules + an

Derived from the name Hercules + adjectival suffix '-an'; the meaning 'like or relating to Hercules (very strong/difficult)' relies on cultural/mythological knowledge, so it is not fully transparent to all learners.

Etymology

The word herculean comes from the name Hercules, a famous hero known for great 'strength' who had to complete twelve very hard tasks. So a herculean task is one that needs very great strength or effort.