Word of the Day

: June 2, 2025

Herculean

adjective her-kyuh-LEE-un

What It Means

Something described as Herculean (often uncapitalized as herculean) is characterized by extraordinary power, extent, intensity, or difficulty.

// Although starting a garden sounded fun in theory, the constant weeding and pest control turned it into a herculean task.

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Herculean in Context

“Strong doesn’t even properly describe [Ashton] Jeanty’s Herculean, how-is-he-doing-that kind of strength. Before his sophomore year of college, he squatted 575 pounds. [Coach James] Montgomery thought that Jeanty had maxed out. He was wrong. Now Jeanty easily squats 605 pounds ‘like a hot knife through butter,’ Montgomery says.” — Mirin Fader, The Ringer, 5 Dec. 2024

Did You Know?

The hero Hercules, son of the god Zeus by a human mother, was famous for his superhuman strength. As penance for a madness-induced murder spree (the victims were his family), he was forced to perform twelve enormously difficult tasks, or “labors.” These ranged from descending into the underworld to bring back the terrifying dog that guarded its entrance to destroying the many-headed monster called the Hydra. The feats he accomplished explain how Herculean in the 16th century came to be used for any job or task that’s extremely difficult or calls for enormous strength.