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

Across the banking spectrum, behemoths such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citibank are paving the way with the tokenization of deposits. —Chris Perry, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

The Italian shipyard just unveiled new details about its 279-foot behemoth, known as Project Life, at the Palm Beach International Boat Show. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2025

This week, Kieran goes in with the forceps and scalpel to shape Playboi Carti’s new 30-track behemoth, Music, into something closer to a perfect album. March 19, 2025 Illustration by Chris Panicker. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2025

One was made up of sainted tech behemoths and the other consisted of every other stock out there. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 16 Mar. 2025

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