Augean

adjective

ȯ-ˈjē-ən How to pronounce Augean (audio)
Definition of Augeannext
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort dreaded the Augean task of cleaning the bathroom after an overflow of the toilet

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of Augean Obasanjo’s return to power as a civilian leader was supposed to be an economic and political reset, a cleaning of the Augean stables. — Uzodinma Iweala, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Augean
  1. difficult
  2. challenging
  3. rigorous
  4. demanding
  5. formidable
  6. tough
  7. toilsome
Adjective
  • Unlike dogs, they cannot simply be taken on longer walks, often resist dietary changes, and can be difficult to medicate consistently, making GLP-1 therapies potentially attractive if clinical trials prove successful.
    — Elsa Ohlen,Carolin Roth, CNBC, 18 July 2026
  • Their stories recount the devastation to homes and businesses, life in temporary shelters, and the difficult process of rebuilding or relocating.
    — Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • The method also relies on multiple Bell tests and assumptions about independent quantum sources, which could make large-scale implementation challenging.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
  • His 15-point first half Thursday included two threes, a high-degree-of-difficulty turnaround jumper and another challenging jumper.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
Definition of challenging
Adjective
  • For more than two decades, the duo hauled in more than 4 pounds of clams each morning from the lagoon in the Po River Delta — upending the notion that women were unsuited for such a rigorous job.
    — Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • Over the summer, kids might not have had to stick to a rigorous morning routine, but that all changes during the school year.
    — Parents, Parents, 17 July 2026
Definition of rigorous
Adjective
  • Those efforts produced significant performance and efficiency gains for several of the laboratory’s most demanding applications.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 July 2026
  • Yzerman was known as a demanding, intimidating general manager who could grind players in negotiations.
    — Max Bultman, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of demanding
Adjective
  • In the $200,000 San Clemente Handicap 35-1 longshot Somerset West (Armando Ayuso) outran nine other 3-year-old fillies, including three formidable challengers who shipped in from the east.
    — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • Ohtani spearheads the game’s most formidable hypothetical October rotation.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of formidable
Adjective
  • White, when give the chance, has displayed a diverse offensive game, a defensive bent and an ability to make tough shots.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • The stakes for new avatar don’t feel quite as high—the specific circumstances around the former was a perfect storm that'll be tough to duplicate—but the music isn’t any less potent for it.
    — Lawrence Burney, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Republicans lacked the votes to pass anything so their amendments tended to be trollish and toilsome fliers meant to either own the libs or just annoy the legislators.
    — Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 Aug. 2022
  • Though the third quarter was significantly better for Netflix than its previous quarter, the company signaled that there could be toilsome times ahead.
    — Natalie Jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2019
Definition of toilsome

Phrases Containing Augean

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audits
Augean
Augean stable
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Cite this Entry

“Augean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Augean. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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