behemoth

noun

be·​he·​moth bi-ˈhē-məth  ˈbē-ə-məth 

-ˌmäth, 

-ˌmȯth

often attributive

1

usually Behemoth 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 the Hebrew word bĕhēmōth into Late Latin (the Latin used by writers in the third to sixth centuries), where, according to 15th century English poet and monk John Lydgate it referred to "a beast rude full of cursednesse." In modern English, behemoth functions as an evocative term for something of monstrous size, power, or appearance.

Synonyms of behemoth

• giant
• whale
• monster
• dinosaur
• mammoth

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

The association represents a large network of galleries, many of them small businesses whose concerns are rather different from those of the industry’s multinational behemoths. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 13 Nov. 2026

The sinking marks a bittersweet coda to the era of gleaming behemoths that crossed the seas in elegant fashion. — Henry Larson, NPR, 12 Nov. 2026

Huang co-founded the chipmaker 33 years ago and built it into a behemoth at the center of the artificial intelligence boom. — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 12 Nov. 2026

The board’s deliberation comes after a report that the CEO is said to have had a relationship with the company’s vice president of healthcare Kimberly Powell, who has been at the chip behemoth since 2008. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2026

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