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augean

[aw-jee-uhn]

augean Definition

  • 1extremely formidable or difficult and unpleasant; requiring a huge effort to overcome
  • 2pertaining to or resembling the Augean stables, which were said to be so filthy as to require Hercules to clean them

Using augean: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "augean" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

  • Example

    Cleaning up the corruption in the government is an augean task.

  • Example

    The company faced the augean challenge of restructuring its entire business model.

  • Example

    The augean conditions of the prison made it almost impossible for the inmates to live in humane conditions.

augean Synonyms and Antonyms

Antonyms for augean

Phrases with augean

  • Augean stables

    a place or situation marked by extreme filthiness, corruption, or degradation

    Example

    The city's public transportation system is like the Augean stables, with years of neglect and mismanagement resulting in a broken and inefficient system.

  • clean the Augean stables

    to undertake a difficult or unpleasant task that has been avoided for a long time

    Example

    The new CEO had to clean the Augean stables of the company's finances, which had been mismanaged for years.

Origins of augean

from Augeas, a mythical king of Elis whose stables were cleaned by Hercules in one day

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Summary: augean in Brief

'Augean' [aw-jee-uhn] is an adjective that describes something extremely difficult, unpleasant, or formidable. It is often used to describe tasks or situations that require a huge effort to overcome, such as 'Cleaning up the corruption in the government is an augean task.' The phrase 'Augean stables' refers to a place or situation marked by extreme filthiness, corruption, or degradation, while the idiom 'clean the Augean stables' means to undertake a difficult or unpleasant task that has been avoided for a long time.