wikipedia
was wotd|2007|January|15
English
Alternative spellings
sisyphean
sysyphean
Etymology
From Greek mythology figure w:Sisyphus|Sisyphus, who was doomed to endlessly roll a boulder up a hill in Hades.
Pronunciation
AHD|sīs'�f�ʹ�n, IPA|/�sɪs��fi��n/
audio|en-us-Sisyphean-2.ogg|Audio (US)
Adjective
en-adj|-
- incessant|Incessant or incessantly recurring, but futile.
#:Sisyphean labors
- Relating to Sisyphus.
Quotations
w:Edith Wharton|Edith Wharton (1862�1937), s:The Torch-Bearer|The Torch-Bearer
:The Sisyphean load of little lives,\\Becomes the globe and sceptre of the great.
1959 � w:Leo Strauss|Leo Strauss, What Is Political Philosophy? and Other Studies
:In spite of its highness or nobility, it [philosophy] could appear as Sisyphean or ugly, when one contrasts its achievement with its goal.
2006 � Hannah Tucker, w:Entertainment Weekly|Entertainment Weekly, no. 888 (28 July), p. 50
:Rob Paulsen won an Emmy as the voice of Pinky, who was responsible for supporting Brain (Maurice LaMarche?) in his Sisyphean quest for world domination...
Synonyms
italbrac|recurring but futile: like herding cats
Translations
Polish: syzyfowy m, syzyfowa f, syzyfowe n
Category:English eponyms
ru:Sisyphean
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