Moloch

noun

: a Semitic god to whom children were sacrificed

Examples of Moloch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Many regard the unbridled marketplace as a child-devouring Moloch, evoked in their imaginations by The Hunger Games, Divergent, or Squid Game. Neil Howe, Fortune, 18 July 2023 Having a helluva lot of fun are Lucifer (superlatively portrayed by the swaggering Superlative Jones), his two horned and hoofed minions Moloch (Greene) and Satan (Timothy Paul Evans), and Seven Deadly Sins, all of them represented in one tempestuous package by Melissa Hamilton. David L. Coddoncontributor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Dec. 2022 Elvis might have been anointed the King, the monarch of proto-pop, but Jerry Lee was Moloch, the pagan deity of the Middle East whose worship involved the sacrifice of children. Richard Corliss, Time, 28 Oct. 2022 But his religious fanaticism together with the invocations of Moloch suggest some kind of divine intervention is at work. John Anderson, WSJ, 8 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Moloch.' 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

Late Latin, from Greek, from Hebrew Mōlekh

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near Moloch

Cite this Entry

“Moloch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Moloch. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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