Sisyphus

American  

[sis-uh-fuhs] / ˈsɪs ə fəs /

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. 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.

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Sisyphus British  

/ ˈsɪsɪfəs /

noun

1. 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

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Sisyphus Cultural  

1. 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.

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Discover More

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

Etymology

Origin of Sisyphus

From Latin Sisyphus, from Greek Sísyphos; probably of pre-Greek origin

Example Sentences

In “The Myth of Sisyphus,” Camus describes a man doomed to push a boulder uphill forever and asks us to imagine him “happy.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Like Sisyphus, many Americans probably feel like they continue to push a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll down the other side.

From Salon

Kishore said climate change is making his job tougher, yet he said doesn’t feel like Sisyphus, the mythical man pushing a giant boulder up a hill.

From Seattle Times

Each is aggrieved but indomitable, a working-class Sisyphus pushing ahead through institutional neglect and cowardice — a very squeaky wheel at work — while weighed down by personal trauma.

From New York Times

The team found that pairs of Sisyphus beetles cooperate in the transportation of brood balls, resulting in greater transport efficiency in the face of obstacles.

From Science Daily