herculean

adjective

ˌhər-kyə-ˈlē-ən How to pronounce herculean (audio)
Definition of herculeannext
1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort the herculean task of grading 60 student essays over one weekend

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in enormous
unusually large a herculean banquet table that took eight men to lift it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of herculean The task of containing Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak would have been herculean in any circumstance. — Amesh Adalja, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026 George Lucas, for his part, has suggested that bringing the Lucas Museum to fruition—a project beset by delays and controversy that has taken nearly a decade to realize—was a herculean effort. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2026 The herculean effort For residents in a small community known as Rainbow Hill, the outlook is dire. — Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2026 The novel caught on slowly through word of mouth, aided by the herculean efforts of his niece Aron Ritchie, who found ways to increase the book’s visibility. — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026 Even the herculean efforts to acquire capabilities for the conflict with Iran largely amounted to a collection of waivers, special actions, and brute-force leadership. — Doug Beck, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Viewed through a 2026 lens, this now antiquated process seems like a herculean undertaking, one that somehow worked. — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Republicans started laying the groundwork for the herculean task of flipping Michigan the day after Rogers lost to Slotkin. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026 The commission’s remit amounts to a herculean task for the future. — Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herculean
  1. difficult
  2. enormous
  3. challenging
  4. huge
  5. tough
  6. tremendous
  7. formidable
  8. gigantic
Adjective
  • Performances across the board are strong, even if the characterizations themselves are more difficult to embrace.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Making short-haul rail more competitive Parallel argues that its system could open routes that are currently difficult for conventional rail services to serve economically, particularly journeys under 500 miles.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • First developed in the 1950s, this aircraft has an enormous weapon payload capacity and intercontinental range.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026
  • On top of store closures and unsold inventory, the company was choking on enormous debt from a private equity buyout in 2014.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of enormous
Adjective
  • Disappointingly, her screenplay proceeds to unfold in a procession of frustrating get-outs and compromises, repeatedly choosing the least interesting or challenging direction to take this would-be throuple.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Oscar-winning DoP Greig Fraser knows a thing or two about working on challenging movies, from Dune to The Batman, Rogue One to Zero Dark Thirty.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of challenging
Adjective
  • The account has more than 13 million followers, giving whoever controlled it access to a huge audience and the credibility that comes with Microsoft’s name.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • For a family living in poverty, having a home can make a huge difference in the fight for survival.
    — Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of huge
Adjective
  • Now, Germino says her social media presence is all about giving other patients going through the same tough decision an example of someone who’s thriving after the procedure.
    — Kara McGrath, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's administration is about to start tough budget negotiations against a backdrop of division and economic turmoil.
    — Chloe Taylor,Jenni Reid, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • What is already clear is the tremendous talent across our organization and our shared mission to deepen and extend our fans’ emotional connection to our iconic brands and franchises through high-quality products and stories.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The museum brought a tremendous wow factor that cities around the world were soon clamoring to imitate.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of tremendous
Adjective
  • Community supporter and legal advocate Over decades in South Florida, Klock earned a reputation as a formidable advocate, a mentor to younger lawyers and a steadfast supporter of the community.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The original recipe was two parts apple brandy to one part each of the liqueurs, giving this cocktail a quotient of sweetness that even its formidable alcohol content can’t quite tame.
    — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of formidable
Adjective
  • Or Mitch Moreland hits a gigantic late-inning homer in game four of a World Series game to make that series 3-1 instead of 2-2.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Still, a gigantic price target hike to $1,000 from $796 prior, representing 35% upside.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of gigantic

Browse Nearby Words

herbs
herculean
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Cite this Entry

“Herculean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herculean. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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