behemoth

noun

be·​he·​moth bi-ˈhē-məth  ˈbē-ə-məth 

-ˌmäth,

-ˌmȯth

often attributive

1

often capitalized religion : a mighty animal described in Job 40:15–24 as an example of the power of God

2

: something of monstrous size, power, or appearance

a behemoth truck

Did you know?

In the biblical book of Job, Behemoth is the name of a powerful grass-eating, river-dwelling beast with bones likened to bronze pipes and limbs likened to iron bars. Scholars have speculated that the biblical creature was inspired by the hippopotamus, but details about the creature’s exact nature are vague. The word first passed from Hebrew into Latin, where, according to 15th century English poet and monk John Lydgate it referred to "a beast rude full of cursednesse." In modern English, behemoth mostly functions as an evocative term for something of monstrous size, power, or appearance.

Synonyms

• blockbuster
• colossus
• dinosaur
• dreadnought
• elephant
• giant
• Goliath
• jumbo
• leviathan
• mammoth
• mastodon
• monster
• titan
• whale
• whopper

Examples of behemoth in a Sentence

the newest SUV is a gas-guzzling behemoth that doesn't even fit in a standard parking space

Recent Examples on the Web

There are specters, too: Here’s the late Colin De Land and Pat Hearn, who helped start the behemoth that grew into the Armory Show. —Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024

Iger, who has been with the media behemoth for four decades, served as its CEO from 2005 to 2020. —Bruce Gil, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024

In other earnings last week, e-commerce behemoth Amazon reported $158.9 billion in net sales in its last quarter—an 11% increase from a year before. —Megan Poinski, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

The wealth manager — whose firm serves ultra-high-net-worth individuals across Asia, the Middle East and Europe — identified tech giant Microsoft , oil and gas behemoth Exxon Mobil and Canadian miner Barrick Gold as his top picks at the start of the year. —Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin, from Hebrew bĕhēmōth

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

behemoth

noun

be·​he·​moth bi-ˈhē-məth  ˈbē-ə-ˌməth 

-ˌmäth,

-ˌmȯth

1

often capitalized : an animal described in the Bible that is probably the hippopotamus

2

: something of monstrous size or power