1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
the herculean task of grading 60 student essays over one weekend
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2
as in enormous
unusually large
a herculean banquet table that took eight men to lift it
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Recent Examples of herculean
The herculean effort to translate its gargantuan script didn’t pay off and as a result, the outlook of XSeed localizing Trails in the Sky Second Chapter (SC) and Third Chapter (TC) remained grim for years.
—
George Yang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
That would be a herculean task.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
But unseating Healey in Democrat and progressive Massachusetts will be a herculean task.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
The end result would be a chill bar night in our town in suburban Tacoma, Washington, for which Zachary felt a deep ambivalence; persuading him to attend the 10-year had already been a herculean task.
—Jordan Michelman, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
Raymond acknowledged he’s faced with a herculean task – not unlike Sisyphus rolling the boulder up the hill at Tartarus in Greek mythology.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2025
These are smart students who have painstakingly made their way in a herculean fashion through modern med school.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
George Yang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
That would be a herculean task.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
But unseating Healey in Democrat and progressive Massachusetts will be a herculean task.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
The end result would be a chill bar night in our town in suburban Tacoma, Washington, for which Zachary felt a deep ambivalence; persuading him to attend the 10-year had already been a herculean task.
—Jordan Michelman, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
Raymond acknowledged he’s faced with a herculean task – not unlike Sisyphus rolling the boulder up the hill at Tartarus in Greek mythology.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2025
These are smart students who have painstakingly made their way in a herculean fashion through modern med school.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herculean
Adjective
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Abrego Garcia’s lawyers have argued that travel to Moshannon is far more difficult for members of the defense team based in Nashville, and not easier for those in New York.—
Christine Valora,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Sep. 2025
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Senator Collins has proven in the past to be able to win in very difficult environments, 2008 being an example of that.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Apple Valley Model Railroad Museum has an enormous (22 feet by 100 feet) model railroad built in a picturesque Western North Carolina landscape.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
2 Oct. 2025
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Thanks to Google’s enormous war chest, Waymo has had the luxury to spend 16 years raking in data to create more precise self-driving cars, all with the hope of an eventual payoff.—
Saahil Desai,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The big story Immigration anxieties and a challenging job market have sparked an online backlash over China's latest attempt at attracting global talent — a new visa program announced in August.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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His expertise could greatly benefit Ott, ahead of what is destined to be a challenging year in Phoenix.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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While the Surrey Hotel has a tremendous reputation throughout New York City, behind its façade of class and elegance exists a troubling picture of exploitation.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
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Ending the war and bringing the hostages home have tremendous domestic support, but not from the far-right lawmakers who are crucial to keeping the prime minister in power.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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An editor approached me with a tough assignment of tasting, evaluating and reviewing a chicken Caesar wrap.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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The news that Aleksander Barkov will all but assuredly miss all of the 2025-26 season after undergoing surgery on Friday to repair the ACL and MCL in right knee was tough for the Florida Panthers to hear.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The San Francisco 49ers continue to deal with a huge number of injuries, especially on the offensive side of the ball.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
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The victory by the Crimson Tide was a huge relief for coach Kalen DeBoer after a season-opening loss to Florida State.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Technological challenges also proved formidable, as ambitious projects like Sealab failed.—
Danny Robb,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Sep. 2025
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Ong will discuss the strategies and creative principles behind the media giant’s approach to leveraging its formidable library of IP in the gaming world.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Patriots cruising into halftime with a gigantic lead.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
29 Sep. 2025
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Here, slowly being swallowed by vegetation and worn down by time, are gigantic mausoleums, vast underground cisterns, temples, imposing city walls and a breathtaking theater perched, like Machu Picchu, on a hilltop that offers views stretching for miles all around.—
Barry Neild,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Herculean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herculean. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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