as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
dreaded the Augean task of cleaning the bathroom after an overflow of the toilet
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Recent Examples of Augean
Obasanjo’s return to power as a civilian leader was supposed to be an economic and political reset, a cleaning of the Augean stables.
—
Uzodinma Iweala, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2022
Uzodinma Iweala, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Augean
Adjective
-
When Thomson went through a difficult divorce, in 2014, Djena would often check in on her, showing up at her door with food.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Crow-Armstrong had just failed to make a highly difficult, leaping catch at the wall.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Essential in this most challenging of environments.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
-
That’s what will make the job challenging and difficult.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
For decades, the legal profession has maintained strict boundaries around who can provide services in the form of licenses that require professionals to undergo significant schooling and rigorous testing.—
Robert Scott,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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Every article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors.—
John Csiszar,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Shooting in Japan, difficult underwater filming, and an extremely demanding post-production with editing, sound design and VFX.—
JD Linville,
Variety,
19 May 2026
-
Blue-collar work tends to be more physically demanding and often risky.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
The reigning Super Bowl MVP was brought aboard as the Chiefs look to reestablish a formidable, dangerous run game.—
Pete Sweeney
May 22,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
-
Pitt nabbed the iconic part, which Clooney wasn't thrilled about, but what followed was a formidable friendship that has continued on- and off-screen.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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Each of those teams will be competing for playoff spots again, leaving the Raiders with no easy divisional wins and a tough out-of-division schedule.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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The group did just enough against Sale and a tough Braves bullpen to avoid getting shut out for the third time in five games.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Republicans lacked the votes to pass anything so their amendments tended to be trollish and toilsome fliers meant to either own the libs or just annoy the legislators.—
Matt Ford,
The New Republic,
9 Aug. 2022
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Though the third quarter was significantly better for Netflix than its previous quarter, the company signaled that there could be toilsome times ahead.—
Natalie Jarvey,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Oct. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Augean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Augean. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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