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
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The Aces scored 26 points off those giveaways, which made things even more difficult on the defense.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
Schiraldi oversaw a particularly difficult period on Rikers.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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The company said powerful AI systems require enormous computing resources, most of which still depend on chips designed by American and allied firms.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
-
The Maxwells are enormous and heavy, with their massive 90mm drivers, while the Omnis are smaller and lighter, weighing nearly 340 grams.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Figuring out how to animate them was challenging.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
With more than 7,300 yards of play, this challenging course also allows shorter three- or six-hole loops, perfect for golf vacations with kids who may not be up for an entire 18-hole round.—
Megan duBois,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Though conditions are more acute in Myanmar due to the civil war, experts warn the chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz could also dent rice production across the region – with potentially huge shocks for food security.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
16 May 2026
-
Just to switch gears for a second, the 2025-2026 season had some huge roster changes.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Each of those teams will be competing for playoff spots again, leaving the Raiders with no easy divisional wins and a tough out-of-division schedule.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The group did just enough against Sale and a tough Braves bullpen to avoid getting shut out for the third time in five games.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
There is little doubt that this is a rapidly developing field and that there are tremendous upsides to be had, but at the same time, regrettably, hidden risks and outright gotchas come into these endeavors, too.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
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The tunnel was built after careful planning and executed with tremendous effort.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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Rossellini plays the formidable Madame de Noailles, an old-school aristocrat devoted to Marie Antoinette and haunted by a lost love.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
Vegas will remain formidable because of its eternal win-now mandate.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Another executive said any potential trade package would be gigantic.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
Upside-down performers hang from a gigantic bell, clanging their torsos against the metal.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Herculean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herculean. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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