herculean

[ hur-kyuh-lee-uhn, hur-kyoo-lee-uhn ]

/ ˌhɜr kyəˈli ən, hɜrˈkyu li ən /

requiring the great strength of a Hercules; very hard to perform: Digging the tunnel was a herculean task.

having enormous strength, courage, or size.

(initial capital letter) of or relating to Hercules or his labors.

Origin of herculean

1590–1600; < Latin Hercule(us) of, belonging to Hercules + -an

1 prodigious, arduous, onerous, formidable.

For women with ADHD conforming to these problematic standards is a herculean task.

Adult Women Are the New Face of ADHD |Rae Jacobson |June 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Those versions of the story present a Herculean drama of man versus nature.

Polar Explorer vs. Reality TV Crew: Tim Jarvis in the Footsteps of Shackleton |Darrell Hartman |January 12, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It goes back to the Greeks and the idea of sport as some sort of Herculean sacrifice without personal enrichment.

The Unwarranted Mythology of Oscar Pistorius |Buzz Bissinger |February 15, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Now even the scaled-down agreement is proving a herculean task.

Biden, McConnell Race to Avoid Fiscal Cliff |Howard Kurtz |December 31, 2012 |DAILY BEAST

Tangling with the ancients in this way takes a certain Herculean arrogance.

A Manifesto for Disorder: Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s ‘Antifragile’ Reviewed |Robert Herritt |November 26, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
With no little difficulty I did what Marion desired; his Herculean body was heavy.

The Casque's Lark |Eugne Sue
And still the giant Cossack, with herculean strength and unbelievable prowess, was fighting his assailants.

The Boy Allies with the Cossacks |Clair W. Hayes
What was the meaning of this so steady and self-respecting, this small Herculean labor, I knew not.

Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience |Henry David Thoreau
He was a man of herculean proportions, and blessed with as commonplace features as you could find in a day's walk.

Ridgeway |Scian Dubh
This is a herculean task but this is what confronts us and I for one, believe we can accomplish it.

Twenty-Five Years in the Black Belt |William James Edwards

herculean

/ (ˌhɜːkjʊˈliːən) /

requiring tremendous effort, strength, etc a herculean task

(sometimes capital) resembling Hercules in strength, courage, etc