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- DictionarySisyphean/sɪsɪˈfiːən/
adjective
- 1. denoting or relating to a task that can never be completed: "the pursuit of perfection is a Sisyphean task"
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The meaning of SISYPHEAN is of, relating to, or suggestive of the labors of Sisyphus; specifically : requiring continual and often ineffective effort. How to use Sisyphean in a sentence. Did you know?
adjective. formal uk / ˌsɪs.ɪˈfiː.ən / us / ˌsɪs.ɪˈfiː.ən / Add to word list. used to describe a task that can never be completed: Trying to completely eliminate doping from sport is a Sisyphean task. Many Manhattan residents find themselves in a Sisyphean cycle of buying and renovating. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Unachievable.
Sisyphean describes a task as seemingly endless and futile—you keep doing it but it never gets done. The word comes from the name of Sisyphus , a character in Greek mythology who was punished by being forced to continuously roll a boulder up a steep hill.
You can use Sisyphean to describe things that require a lot of hard work and yet will never be truly finished. Keeping a house clean can feel Sisyphean, and so can deciding on a movie that everyone in a family will enjoy.
adj. 1. Of or relating to Sisyphus. 2. Endlessly laborious or futile: "The jumble of wet pans and platters ... made him weary; to dry them seemed a task as Sisyphean as to repair the things wrong with his parents' house" (Jonathan Franzen). [From Latin Sisyphēius, from Greek Sisupheios, from Sisuphos, Sisyphus .]
Sisyphean definition: Of or relating to Sisyphus.
Jun 2, 2024 · Sisyphean (not comparable) Incessant or incessantly recurring, but futile. Synonyms: like herding cats, like painting the Forth Bridge Sisyphean task Sisyphean labors
Definition of Sisyphean adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Mar 23, 2017 · Sisyphean in American English. (ˌsɪsəˈfiən ) adjective. 1. of or like Sisyphus. 2. endless and toilsome, useless, etc. a Sisyphean task. Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition.
Dec 31, 2023 · Definition: “Sisyphean” refers to a task that is laborious and never-ending. It is used to describe a process that’s both difficult and futile, typically one that is repetitive and never leads to a final accomplishment or success.
