behemoth

noun

be·​he·​moth bi-ˈhē-məth How to pronounce behemoth (audio)
ˈbē-ə-məth,
-ˌmäth,
-ˌmȯth How to pronounce behemoth (audio)
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

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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.

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 Unregulated behemoths left to dominate markets in the name of efficiency turned out to yield results that were efficient only on Wall Street. Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 2 June 2024 But just months after union ratification, in January UPS announced 12,000 layoffs, which CEO Carol Tomé said would generate $1 billion in savings as the logistics behemoth shifts its focus to higher-margin shipments. Nik Popli, TIME, 30 May 2024 Right now, these two supermarket behemoths vigorously compete against each other for our shopping dollars. Jon Leibowitz, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2024 The race could be a close one, as the excitement over Eilish’s brand-new release competes with the sheer overwhelming volume of Swift’s reigning behemoth. Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 22 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for behemoth 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'behemoth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin, from Hebrew bĕhēmōth

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of behemoth was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near behemoth

Cite this Entry

“Behemoth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behemoth. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

behemoth

noun
be·​he·​moth bi-ˈhē-məth How to pronounce behemoth (audio) ˈbē-ə-ˌməth How to pronounce behemoth (audio)
-ˌmäth,
-ˌmȯth
1
often capitalized : an animal described in the Bible that is probably the hippopotamus
2
: something of monstrous size or power

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