behemoth

noun

be·​he·​moth bi-ˈhē-məth  ˈbē-ə-məth 

-ˌmäth, 

-ˌmȯth

often attributive

1

often 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

New York — Hellmann’s owner Unilever is spinning off its food business and merging it with spice maker McCormick to create a grocery staples behemoth. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026

Although the audience watches the Lehman Brothers company grow from a barely profitable dry-goods store in pre-Civil War Alabama to a $600 billion finance behemoth on Wall Street, the play doesn’t focus on business. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026

Then there’s the location, face-to-face with the future behemoth 175 Park Avenue, which will throw a big shadow in its general direction every afternoon. —Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 27 Mar. 2026

Any kid who stars at smaller schools transfers before the program can become a threat to the behemoths. —Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin, from Hebrew bĕhēmōth

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

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