sisyphism means infinite labor that produces nothing. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
Why “sisyphism” is a great word
SISYPHISM — [Noun] The condition of performing infinite, cyclical labor that yields no lasting or meaningful result. From French *Sisyphisme*, coined by Frédéric Bastiat, from the name of Sisyphus, a figure in Greek mythology condemned to eternally roll a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down. Unlike "Sisyphean" (which qualifies a task) or "fruitless" (which merely denotes an outcome), sisyphism is the existential state of being bound to the cycle itself. It is the boulder’s mineral sigh at the crest, the gravel-dust settling in the lungs after the fall, and the silent, muscular knowledge in the shoulders as the hands are placed once more against the stone—a cosmology where effort is infinite and progress is the necessary, temporary illusion that makes the labor possible.
Etymology
From French Sisyphisme, coined by Frédéric Bastiat.
noun
- Infinite labor that produces nothing.