Herculean
/ˌhəːkjʊˈliːən
/ /həːˈkjuːlɪən /adjective
1Requiring great strength or effort: a Herculean task...
- Even the simplest military task - like moving a unit from point A to point B - requires a Herculean logistical effort.
- The major problem is that Sofia's street are mainly cobbled, which is not a problem for the motor, but requires a Herculean effort steering the wheelchair.
- And I think it will require a Herculean effort, on the part of the defense, to create a reasonable doubt on all of the counts in this case.
Synonyms
arduous, gruelling, laborious, back-breaking, onerous, strenuous, difficult, formidable, burdensome, hard, tough, huge, heavy, massive, uphill, Sisyphean;
demanding, exhausting, taxing, exacting, wearying, wearisome, fatiguing
informal killing
British informal knackering
archaic toilsome
1.1(Of a person) muscular and strong: the mesomorph, a classic Herculean build...
- As I sat breathlessly in front of my television and watched the team last weekend, they became my Herculean heroes.
- But I'm far from the Herculean man mountain of muscle I was at my previous heights.
- Finally, because they were bred to be such Herculean workers, malamutes need daily exercise on a leash or in an enclosed area.
Synonyms
strong, muscular, muscly, powerful, sturdy, robust, solid, well built, powerfully built, solidly built, strapping, brawny, burly, broad-shouldered, as strong as an ox, as strong as a horse, as strong as a lion
informal hunky, beefy, hulking, ripped, shredded
North American informal buff
literary stalwart, thewy, stark
Origin
Late 16th century (in the sense 'relating to Hercules'): from Latin Herculeus 'Hercules' + -an.
Rhymes
- rennet bag
- renneting
- rennet stomach
- rennet whey
- rennet wort
- Rennie, John
- rennin
- renning
- Reno
- renogram
- renography
- Renoir, Auguste
- Renoiresque
- Renoir, Jean
- Reno, Janet
- renominate
- renomination
- renopericardial
- renormalisation
- renormalizability
- renormalizable
- renormalization
- renormalize
- renosterbos
- renosterveld