ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hercules

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈhɝkjəˌɫiz// her·cules Archaic

n. a person who is incredibly strong or brave. It comes from the name of a famous hero in ancient Greek stories who finished twelve impossible tasks.

n. a person of exceptional strength, courage, or size. Derived from the Greek mythological hero Heracles, the term functions as an eponym for physical power.


SIMPLE

He felt like a Hercules after lifting the heavy sofa alone.

CONTEXTUAL

The young athlete was a modern Hercules, breaking three school records in a single afternoon.

COMPLEX

To clean up the corruption in the city's administration, the new mayor would need to be a political Hercules capable of moving mountains of bureaucracy.

Synonyms
Origin

From Latin Herculēs, from Etruscan 𐌇𐌄𐌓𐌂𐌋𐌄 (hercle), from Ancient Greek Ἡρακλῆς (Hēraklês), apparently cognate of Ἥρα (Hḗra, “Hera”) and, according to Haudry, from Proto-Indo-European *yóh₁r̥ (“year, season”) + κλέος (kléos, “glory”).

Usage

When used as a common noun to describe a strong person, it is typically not capitalized, though the mythological figure always is.

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