Dictionary

Herculean en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /hɜːɹˈkjuːliən/ (US)
• /ˌhɜːɹkjəˈliːən/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English Hercules Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Proto-Italic *-ānos Latin -ānus Old French -ainder. Middle English -an English -an English Herculean From Hercules + -an.

Meanings

1. Of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.; suggesting Hercules in size or strength.
   • But this is not the best:—look, pr'ythee, Charmian, / How this Herculean Roman does become / The carriage of his chafe. c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 343, column 1:
2. Requiring a huge amount of work; of extraordinary difficulty.
   • 2006, Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear (TV show), commenting on the Bugatti Veyron automobile The guys at Volkswagen have a Herculean task.
   • There are thousands of known isotopes, and to have a functional and easily maintainable exhibit for all of these would require a Herculean effort. 2012, John Nonte, Supercollider 4:
   • a Herculean labour
   • He replied in a dry manner, that I would find it a Herculean task to chastise everybody who should laugh at my expense; 1748, Tobias George Smollett, The Adventures of Roderick Random:

Forms

Relateds

Augean

Translations (26)

fr herculéen (requiring a huge amount of work) · cs herkulovský (requiring a huge amount of work) · hu herkulesi (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · es herculino (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · pl benedyktyński (requiring a huge amount of work) · fr herculéen (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · es hercúleo (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · ca herculi (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · ca herculi (requiring a huge amount of work) · pt hercúleo (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · cs herkulovský (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · sv herkulisk (requiring a huge amount of work) · sv herkulisk (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · es heracleo (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · de herkulisch (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · ast herculeu (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · it erculeo (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · ru исполи́нский (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · ru геркуле́сов (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · ru богаты́рский (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · gl hercúleo (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · grc ἡράκλειος (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · de herkulisch (requiring a huge amount of work) · pt hercúleo (requiring a huge amount of work) · el ηράκλειος (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.) · ru гера́клов (of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.)