Sisyphean
adjective
Did you know?
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king who annoyed the gods with his trickery. As a consequence, he was condemned for eternity to roll a huge rock up a long, steep hill in the underworld, only to watch it roll back down. The story of Sisyphus is often told in conjunction with that of Tantalus, who was condemned to stand beneath fruit-laden boughs, up to his chin in water. Whenever he bent his head to drink, the water receded, and whenever he reached for the fruit, the branches moved beyond his grasp. Thus to tantalize is to tease or torment by offering something desirable but keeping it out of reach—and something Sisyphean (or Sisyphian, pronounced \sih-SIFF-ee-un\) demands unending, thankless, and ultimately unsuccessful efforts.
Examples of Sisyphean in a Sentence
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
Read more from Rose on the latest, and revisit her 2024 story for a rundown of the whole Sisyphean saga.
—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
2 June 2026
According to the literature, the frock was a huge job for Schiaparelli’s embroiderers, who took a Sisyphean 22,000 hours to embroider the thing, give or take.
—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
This Sisyphean season of injuries for the Nuggets has at least one more setback in store.
—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2026
But there is no description that captures the many sides of the rabbi’s soul, and so Koestenbaum offers a gloriously Sisyphean attempt, a measure of respect for the human in all its biological imperatives and psychological complexity.
—
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
But their season has been Sisyphean.
—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2026
The pivot could have been toward Morant or some other talent that some/all in that brain trust consortium identified as a piece to get the roster over the top, instead the ongoing Sisyphean task of pushing the boulder up the play-in mountain.
—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Ritchie then reminded the committee that members of the grunge band Pearl Jam sat before Congress 30 years ago in their Sisyphean battle against Ticketmaster and that in 2009, Congress was told under oath that merging Live Nation and Ticketmaster would benefit artists and fans.
—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sisyphean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sisyphean. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy Citation
