Synonyms of herculean

herculean

adjective

ˌhər-kyə-ˈlē-ən 

1

as in difficult

requiring considerable physical or mental effort

the herculean task of grading 60 student essays over one weekend

Synonyms & Similar Words

• difficult
• challenging
• tough
• formidable
• rigorous
• hard
• demanding
• heavy
• complicated
• arduous
• strenuous
• effortful
• laborious
• backbreaking
• rugged
• rough
• grueling
• exhausting
• severe
• tall
• sweaty
• toilsome
• exacting
• murderous
• intricate
• uphill
• painful
• testing
• killer
• complex
• serious
• hellacious
• stiff
• elusive
• problematic
• annoying
• Augean
• tricky
• stubborn
• onerous
• moiling
• pick-and-shovel
• stressful
• grim
• brutal
• oppressive
• involved
• thorny
• abstruse
• troublesome
• abstract
• irksome
• bruising
• knotty
• burdensome
• hairy
• recondite
• labored
• insoluble
• tight
• opaque
• trying
• ticklish
• strict
• stringent
• vexatious
• spiny
• bothersome
• taxing
• distressing
• grievous
• inhuman
• cruel

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• simple
• effortless
• light
• soft
• cheap
• mindless
• facile
• achievable
• manageable
• undemanding
• clear
• doable
• elementary
• uncomplicated
• smooth
• gentle
• painless
• soothing
• comforting
• relaxed
• friendly
• accessible
• user-friendly
• idiotproof

2

as in enormous

unusually large

a herculean banquet table that took eight men to lift it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• enormous
• huge
• tremendous
• gigantic
• vast
• massive
• colossal
• giant
• mammoth
• immense
• monumental
• astronomical
• titanic
• monstrous
• mountainous
• mighty
• bumper
• big
• monster
• gargantuan
• heroic
• sizable
• prodigious
• grand
• great
• humongous
• cosmic
• oceanic
• elephantine
• mega
• planetary
• considerable
• super
• oversize
• whopping
• cyclopean
• formidable
• galactic
• substantial
• Himalayan
• pharaonic
• handsome
• Brobdingnagian
• jumbo
• vasty
• gigantesque
• good
• majestic
• staggering
• major
• extensive
• supersized
• leviathan
• whacking
• voluminous
• imposing
• hefty
• walloping
• supersize
• king-size
• overwhelming
• super-duper
• stupendous
• outsize
• bulky
• goodly
• tidy
• gross
• infinite
• grandiose
• lofty
• overgrown
• hulking
• largish
• monolithic
• immeasurable
• august
• cavernous
• towering
• boundless

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tiny
• minuscule
• infinitesimal
• diminutive
• microscopic
• miniature
• micro
• bitty
• Lilliputian
• wee
• little bitty
• teensy
• puny
• teeny
• pygmy
• pocket
• small
• minute
• midget
• little
• smallish
• undersized
• petite
• mini
• teeny-weeny
• bantam
• teensy-weensy
• microminiature
• dwarfish
• dinky
• pint-size
• half-pint

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of herculean

Something as simple as trying to eat a burger became a herculean ordeal. — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 24 June 2026

Despite the herculean efforts of Nowell, original members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson, and producer Jon Joseph, listening to Until the Sun Explodes feels like scraping up the resin left behind by OG Sublime in the hopes of getting high. — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026

Despite his herculean postseason, a succession plan will be needed at some point. — Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 12 June 2026

Now, local officials in multiple states have begun the herculean work of changing the names of locations and holidays, as well as contemplating the fate of monuments and murals that honor Chavez. — Daniella Silva, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026

The local architect Rob Michel, an expert in midcentury preservation, would in turn oversee the project, which grew into a herculean logistical challenge requiring the coordination of some 100 specialists. — Felix Wagner, Architectural Digest, 27 Feb. 2026

For Paramount, the road ahead will be paved with key management and strategic decisions, as well as a herculean effort to revitalize two media giants that have often struggled to navigate the streaming era. — Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026

But both face a herculean task in catching him, given Malinin’s huge technical advantage over a longer program. — Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026

While finding a new species in plain sight might seem simple, catching the birds – a relatively common sight in the Galapagos – proved a herculean task. — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026

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