Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

herculean

[hur-kyuh-lee-uhn, hur-kyoo-lee-uhn]

Example Sentences Origin

adjective

requiring the great strength of a Hercules; very hard to perform: Digging the tunnel was a herculean task.

having enormous strength, courage, or size.

(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. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To herculean

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Herculean is always a great word to know.

So is interrobang. Does it mean:

a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Example Sentences

The herculean efforts of staff and volunteers have created order in the landscape, and the plants are growing nicely.

Perhaps a future follow-up article for this magazine might be how this herculean task was envisioned and completed.

And for me to show up at work and perform takes a herculean effort each day.

EXPAND

Collins

World English Dictionary

herculean (ˌhɜːkjʊˈliːən)

—*adj*
1.	requiring tremendous effort, strength, etc: a herculean task
2.	(sometimes capital) resembling Hercules in strength, courage, etc

Hercules, Heracles or Herakles¹ (ˈhɜːkjʊˌliːz)

—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
Cite This Source

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).

Word Dynamo Rating For Herculean

People who can define Herculean may know 43,750 words, as many as a 11th grader.

How many words do you know?

Use Dictionary.com faster without ads >>

Matching Quote

"Such is always the pursuit of knowledge. The celestial fruits, the golden apples of the Hesperides, are ever guarded by a hundred-headed dragon which never sleeps, so that it is an Herculean labor to pluck them."

-Henry David Thoreau

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help

herculean

her·cu·le·an