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

Following a series of recent mergers and acquisitions, the leading PBMs are now each part of healthcare behemoths that also include health insurers, pharmacies and healthcare provider services. —Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025

The style was celebrated in the sports world, but, despite promising beginnings, the company never became a behemoth in the vein of Nike, which was founded around the same era. —Ana Serrano, Glamour, 17 Jan. 2025

By 1982, Nike had grown into a behemoth, with $694 million in annual sales, up from only around $2 million a decade earlier. —Danielle Friedman, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025

Only limited progress has been made against these two behemoths, and there are fears that it could be reversed if weather conditions worsen. —Emma Bowman, NPR, 12 Jan. 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