Sisyphus

[ sis-uh-fuh s ]
/ ˈsɪs ə fəs /

noun Classical Mythology.

a son of Aeolus and ruler of Corinth, noted for his trickery: he was punished in Tartarus by being compelled to roll a stone to the top of a slope, the stone always escaping him near the top and rolling down again.

Example sentences from the Web for sisyphus

British Dictionary definitions for sisyphus

Sisyphus
/ (ˈsɪsɪfəs) /

noun

Greek myth a king of Corinth, punished in Hades for his misdeeds by eternally having to roll a heavy stone up a hill: every time he approached the top, the stone escaped his grasp and rolled to the bottom

Cultural definitions for sisyphus

Sisyphus
[ (sis-uh-fuhs) ]

A king in classical mythology who offended Zeus and was punished in Hades by being forced to roll an enormous boulder to the top of a steep hill. Every time the boulder neared the top, it would roll back down, and Sisyphus would have to start over.

notes for Sisyphus

A difficult and futile endeavor may be called a “labor of Sisyphus” or a “Sisyphean task.”