Herculean

• Herculæan
• herculean

see Hercules

• (US) IPA^(key): /hɜːɹˈkjuːliən/, /ˌhɜːɹkjəˈliːən/

Herculean (comparative more Herculean, superlative most Herculean)

1. Of extraordinary might, power, size, etc.; of or relating to Hercules in size or strength.
   • 1607, Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, i 3:

     But this is not the best:--look, pr'ythee, Charmian, / How this Herculean Roman does become / The carriage of his chafe.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Bertram Fields:

     It was truly a Herculean effort. I never thought it was going to happen, but it did.

2. Requiring a huge amount of work; of extraordinary difficulty.

   a Herculean labour, a Herculean task

   • 1748, Tobias George Smollett, The Adventures of Roderick Random

     He replied in a dry manner, that I would find it a Herculean task to chastise everybody who should laugh at my expense;

   • 2006: Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear, commenting on the Bugatti Veyron

     The guys at Volkswagen have a Herculean task.