English Dictionary

SISYPHUS

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Overview

SISYPHUS (noun)
  The noun SISYPHUS has 1 sense:

1. (Greek legend) a king in ancient Greece who offended Zeus and whose punishment was to roll a huge boulder to the top of a steep hill; each time the boulder neared the top it rolled back down and Sisyphus was forced to start againplay

  Familiarity information: SISYPHUS used as a noun is very rare.


English dictionary: Word details


SISYPHUS (noun)


Sense 1

Meaning:

(Greek legend) a king in ancient Greece who offended Zeus and whose punishment was to roll a huge boulder to the top of a steep hill; each time the boulder neared the top it rolled back down and Sisyphus was forced to start again

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Instance hypernyms:

mythical being (an imaginary being of myth or fable)

Domain category:

fable; legend (a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events)

Domain region:

Ellas; Greece; Hellenic Republic (a republic in southeastern Europe on the southern part of the Balkan peninsula; known for grapes and olives and olive oil)

Derivation:

Sisyphean (both extremely effortful and futile)

Sisyphean (of or relating to Sisyphus)


 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." (English proverb)

"If you do not sow, you can't reap." (Albanian proverb)

"Nice guys finish last." (American proverb)

"Do not hide your light under a bushel" (Danish proverb)



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