Augean

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Extremely dirty or squalid from long neglect ; requiring a huge, laborious effort to clean up or set right
2. Filthy beyond measure from accumulated neglect ; demanding an enormous and exhausting task to cleanse or reform
3. Foul and grimy through years of filth ; calling for a colossal, arduous effort to remedy or put in order

Etymology: The fifth of Hercules's twelve labours was a stable-cleaning job of almost unimaginable scale. King Augeas of Elis kept vast herds of cattle, and their stables had not been mucked out in years. Hercules was ordered to clear them, and according to the myth he accomplished the task in a single day by diverting rivers through the yard to wash the dung away. The adjective comes straight from that king's name: "Augean" is formed from Latin "Augeas" plus the suffix "-an," so it means, in effect, "of Augeas." Its sense has stayed attached to the legend, which is why a place buried in long-accumulated filth is called Augean, and why cleaning one is a task that seems to need a hero rather than a broom.

Synonyms: filthy, squalid, grimy, foul

Antonyms: clean, spotless, pristine