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Glite Dictionary
Sisyphean

Sisyphean

9.9
A task that needs endless effort but never succeeds
  • adjective
  • /ˌsɪsɪˈfiːən/
  • Literature
translation icon : sísifo
  • This insight suggests a partial answer to the significance of the labyrinth, but understanding its most comprehensive meaning is a Sisyphean task.
  • Sisyphean task
  • Sisyphean labor

I mean, banging your head against a wall lobbying state legislature, That also sounds quite Sisyphean to me.

Examples

  • Oh my God, this is Sisyphean this mofo.

  • The art of liberty is a noble but Sisyphean enterprise struggling against the very nature of democracy.

    Academic text (2000)

  • That maybe there are parts of this city, in the face of more powerful storms and even with large storm barriers, for which the continual salvage and redevelopment becomes an almost Sisyphean scenario.

    Blog text (30)

  • Trying to clean the entire house in one day felt like a Sisyphean task that would never be complete.

  • The team's efforts to fix the broken system seemed Sisyphean, as new problems emerged faster than they could be resolved.

  • Organizing the messy garage proved to be a Sisyphean undertaking, with endless clutter appearing every time he thought he was done.

Antonyms

successful
∞ 1.6

You have achieved what you wanted

fruitful
43 3.9

Producing good, useful results

achievable
33 3.2

Can be done successfully

Compounds

Sisyphean labour
  • Literature
9.9

A long task that can never be finished, even if you keep trying

How Futile

Sisyphean
  • Literature
9.9
futile
84 6.0
fruitless
24 4.8
pointless
157 3.5

Surface Forms

Sisyphean positive

Etymology

Sisyphean comes from the Greek king Sisyphus, who was punished to roll a huge stone up a hill only to have it fall back down each time, so his work never ended. So a Sisyphean task is one that takes 'endless' effort and can never be finished.