juggernaut
noun
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The History of Juggernaut
In the early 14th century, Franciscan missionary Friar Odoric brought to Europe the story of an enormous carriage that carried an image of the Hindu god Vishnu (whose title was Jagannāth, literally, "lord of the world") through the streets of India in religious processions. Odoric reported that some worshippers deliberately allowed themselves to be crushed beneath the vehicle's wheels as a sacrifice to Vishnu. That story was likely an exaggeration or misinterpretation of actual events, but it spread throughout Europe. The tale caught the imagination of English listeners, and they began using juggernaut to refer to any massive vehicle (such as a steam locomotive) and to any other enormous entity with powerful crushing capabilities. While the word is still used sometimes in British English to refer to a very large, heavy truck (also called a "juggernaut lorry"), juggernaut is more commonly used figuratively for a relentless force, entity, campaign, or movement, as in "a political/economic/cultural juggernaut."
Examples of juggernaut in a Sentence
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
The Cougars, who were one shot away from winning a national championship last April, deserve an assist for the juggernaut that Lloyd built this year.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2026
The visionary behind the Supercar Blondie persona, Hirschi has become a social media juggernaut, as well as a highly respected voice in the automotive industry.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2026
Too much focus went on growing the club as a financial juggernaut and investing in the stadium, which went from being their savior to their curse.
—Joe Prince-Wright, NBC news, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for juggernaut
Cite this Entry
“Juggernaut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/juggernaut. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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