Is there a phrase or idiom for a huge task/work/job?

Question

To repair all these houses is (really) a ______.

I want a phrase/idiom/expression for the blank above which means a huge task, or huge work.

I want the idiom/phrase/expression to mean a task that is very difficult, needs a lot of attention, and a lot of work, and cannot be done fast and quick.

This is what intensifiers like very and quantifiers like gigantic are for. You can't have a separate word for every degree of hugeness, after all. — John Lawler, Jun 17 '22 at 15:38
@JohnLawler I just want to give some flavor to my text, otherwise I would simple use ‘huge task’. — Sasan, Jun 17 '22 at 15:51
Flavor is determined by the reader, not the writer. Information is more important, and that's supplied by the writer, if at all. — John Lawler, Jun 17 '22 at 16:00
@Sasan - But there's register to consider. How slangy, how formal? Give us the context and a sample sentence showing how it would be used. Look at some well-received questions in this tag to use as a model. — aparente001, Jun 17 '22 at 19:21
Yes, I imagine it would be with so many comments, but is it done? There's not a creative writing program in the world that doesn't advice writers to be vivid. More vivid! Add some flavoring! A grocery list might be pure information, but Flaubert or Nabokov? — Zan700, Jun 17 '22 at 22:39
Does this answer your question? Is there an idiom available that is exactly opposite to cake-walk or child's play? Or One word for a very tough task/ Or single word adjective for a great or large/expansive task — Edwin Ashworth, Jun 18 '22 at 11:54
This question has a different example sentence and a nuance (lengthy and difficult task; not just difficult); and can be filled with a noun or a noun phrase. I don't believe it is a duplicate. — ermanen, Jun 18 '22 at 13:01

FumbleFingers · Answer 1 · 2022-06-17T17:17:35.237

1: of, relating to, or characteristic of Hercules (Merriam-Webster)
...leading to figurative...
2: a herculean task
(often not capitalized)
of extraordinary power, extent, intensity, or difficulty

Hercules was incredibly strong, but he was assigned some incredibly difficult tasks - which you can google yourself if you're interested; you don't need to know the details to understand the idiomatic usage.

There's also (again, from Merriam-Webster)...

Sisyphean
of, relating to, or suggestive of the labors of Sisyphus
specifically requiring continual and often ineffective effort
a Sisyphean task

Where Sisyphus was assigned a task that was effectively impossible [to complete]. And if you don't want usages derived from Greek myths, we Brits can now use painting the Forth Bridge (for a "never-ending" task; by the time you've painted it all the way from one end to the other, the end you started at needs repainting).

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 18 '22 at 09:03

Long haul is an idiomatic expression used for a lengthy and difficult task/effort/work/process.

A prolonged and difficult effort or task. - Lexico

If you say that a task or a journey is a long haul, you mean that it takes a long time and a lot of effort. - Collins

Ordeal is used colloquially as a hyperbole.

A very unpleasant and prolonged experience. - Lexico

To repair all these houses is an ordeal.

Ball-breaker (also ball-buster) is a US slang word that you can consider also.

A demanding and punishing task or situation. - Lexico

A difficult, boring, or exasperating job, problem, or situation. - OED
You can't believe what I've been through. And then today, a real ball-breaker.

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 17 '22 at 16:04

0

a tough/hard row to hoe

something that is difficult to do or deal with.

Example: I am considering becoming a doctor, but I know that it's a tough row to hoe.

answered Jun 17 '22 at 16:04

Sasan

3,342

DialFrost · Answer 4 · 2022-07-05T00:06:04.450

0

According to Dictionary - gargantuan:

a gargantuan task

gigantic; enormous; colossal

edited Jul 05 '22 at 00:06

answered Jun 18 '22 at 03:36

DialFrost

1,151

Is there a phrase or idiom for a huge task/work/job?

4 Answers4