sisyphus

• Имя собственное, относящееся к царю в греческой мифологии, который был наказан Зевсом вечно вкатывать валун в гору, который каждый раз скатывался обратно.

A proper noun referring to a king in Greek mythology who was punished by Zeus to eternally roll a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down each time.

uncountable · proper noun

1. Mythological figureC1formal

   A king in Greek mythology condemned by Zeus to endlessly roll a heavy boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down each time he neared the top.

   Мифологический персонаж

   • Sisyphus is a central figure in the myth of eternal punishment.
   • The story of Sisyphus illustrates the concept of futile labor.
   • According to legend, Sisyphus tricked death and was punished for his deceit.

2. Symbol of futile effortC2formal

   Used metaphorically to describe a task or effort that is endless and ultimately pointless.

   Символ тщетных усилий

   • His daily commute felt like the labor of Sisyphus.
   • The project became a Sisyphus-like struggle against bureaucracy.
   • She described her attempts to reform the system as a Sisyphus task.