her·cu·le·an

[hur-kyuh-lee-uhn, hur-kyoo-lee-uhn]
adjective
1.
requiring the great strength of a Hercules; very hard to perform: Digging the tunnel was a herculean task.
2.
having enormous strength, courage, or size.
3.
( initial capital letter ) of or pertaining to Hercules or his labors.
Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin Hercule(us) of, belonging to Hercules + -an

Synonyms
1. prodigious, arduous, onerous, formidable.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
herculean (ˌhɜːkjʊˈliːən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—adj
1.  requiring tremendous effort, strength, etc: a herculean task
2.  (sometimes capital) resembling Hercules in strength, courage, etc

00:10
Herculean is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Hercules, Heracles or Herakles1 (ˈhɜːkjʊˌliːz) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  classical myth Also called: Alcides a hero noted for his great strength, courage, and for the performance of twelve immense labours
2.  a man of outstanding strength or size
 
Heracles, Heracles or Herakles1
 
—n
 
Herakles, Heracles or Herakles1
 
—n
 
Hercu'lean, Heracles or Herakles1
 
—adj
 
Hera'clean, Heracles or Herakles1
 
—adj
 
Hera'klean, Heracles or Herakles1
 
—adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

herculean
1593, from Hercules (c.1369, as Ercules), from L. Hercles, from Gk. Herakles name of a famous hero, son of Zeus and Alcmene; lit. "Glory (kleos) of Hera," from Hera + -kles (see Damocles).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
It had been a two-day herculean task to get to the truth.
His whole philosophy was a herculean treading upon toes.
Modeling the pinned quanta is certainly a herculean task.
By dint of their herculean effort, and thanks to favorable river conditions,
  they managed to pull the huge structure free.
Related Words
gigantic
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