sisyphus Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun (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

WordNet


Sis"y*phus noun
Etymology
L. Sisyphus, Sisyphus, fr. Gr. .
Definitions
  1. (Class. Myth.) A king of Corinth, son of Æolus, famed for his cunning. He was killed by Theseus, and in the lower world was condemned by Pluto to roll to the top of a hill a huge stone, which constantly rolled back again, making his task incessant.

Webster 1913