SISYPHUS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

• 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 again

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

• 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)