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
Hicks racked up 49 saves in a herculean performance and is 15-0-1 since taking over as the starter at midseason.
—
Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
From the get-go, Lonely reintroduces the herculean energy of her pre-Gladie songwriting.
—Tatiana Tenreyro, Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 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
Yet expert after expert told me that rebooting the country’s oil industry would require a herculean effort.
—Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
From the get-go, Lonely reintroduces the herculean energy of her pre-Gladie songwriting.
—Tatiana Tenreyro, Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 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
Yet expert after expert told me that rebooting the country’s oil industry would require a herculean effort.
—Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herculean
Adjective
-
Such claims of penury, however, were difficult to square with certain facts.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Over time, my relationship with my wife has become very difficult.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rising electricity rates have been a fault line in recent campaigns, especially as enormous data centers are built to power artificial intelligence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Others predicted that toilet paper could soon become difficult to come by as a result of the enormous blaze.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Cubs are trying to survive this challenging stretch as they have been decimated by pitching injuries.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In kitchens around the country, chefs are translating this novelty into dishes that aren’t too challenging to get behind.—
Jaia Clingham-David,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That's all well and good, and that's a huge part of the learning process.—
Bryant Reed,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Milton, a Whichita State signee, played a huge role in what was arguably North Crowley girls basketball’s best season.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As the inspirational Moon glides into your 7th House of Allies, your expressive nature invites connection, and your generous spirit lightens tough conversations.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Apr. 2026
-
One factor is that the Highlanders, a Division 3 team, haven’t faced the toughest schedule.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Spacecraft returning from the moon hit Earth's atmosphere at tremendous speeds — 24,000 mph (38,600 kph) or thereabouts.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
How tremendous the moviegoing experience is throughout the country.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In my view, the key obstacle to creating future generations of nonsmokers is that people do not fully understand how dangerous smoking is and do not realize the formidable influence of the tobacco industry.—
Marie Helweg-Larsen,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Motivated Mars activates your 6th House of Well-being as of today, motivating you to reconfigure routines and direct your formidable focus toward the tasks that truly count.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s a potentially gigantic collective archive.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
13 Apr. 2026
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So, to be able to represent that on such a gigantic platform to a whole ton of people who might not necessarily be 100% EDM festival attendees… to play for them is really exciting.—
Christine Terrisse,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Herculean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herculean. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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