behemoth

noun

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

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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 Hillhouse, one of the largest private equity firms in Asia, is best known for its investments in Chinese tech giant Tencent and e-commerce behemoth JD.com. Zinnia Lee, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024 And Bytedance has bigger revenues than the entertainment industry’s traditional behemoth Disney, on $92 billion and China’s Tencent on $91 billion. Patrick Frater, Variety, 25 Sep. 2024 Europe automaker shares slump after Mercedes becomes latest to cut 2024 guidance At a conference in May this year, Chinese behemoth BYD announced its Dolphin model to the European market at less than $21,550. Sonia Heng, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2024 Despite the fact that the drivers affected by the closure were FMC employees, not Amazon employees, a spokesperson said the e-commerce behemoth plans to look for other DSPs to pair FMC’s drivers with upon the closure. Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 18 Sep. 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 Oct. 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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