Herculean

See also: herculean

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

see Hercules

Pronunciation
  • (US) IPA(key): /hɜːɹˈkjuːliən/, /ˌhɜːɹkjəˈliːən/

Adjective

Herculean (comparative more Herculean, superlative most Herculean)

  1. Of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.; of or relating to Hercules in size or strength.
    • 1607, Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, i 3:
      But this is not the best:--look, pr'ythee, Charmian, / How this Herculean Roman does become / The carriage of his chafe.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Bertram Fields:
      It was truly a Herculean effort. I never thought it was going to happen, but it did.
  2. Requiring a huge amount of work; of extraordinary difficulty.
    a Herculean labour, a Herculean task
    • 1748, Tobias George Smollett, The Adventures of Roderick Random
      He replied in a dry manner, that I would find it a Herculean task to chastise everybody who should laugh at my expense;
    • 2006: Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear, commenting on the Bugatti Veyron
      The guys at Volkswagen have a Herculean task.

Translations
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