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

In 2016, according to the Financial Times journalist Patrick McGee, Apple pledged to invest $275 billion over five years to help Xi transform China into a crucial supply-chain hub and skilled-worker behemoth. —Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025

Smaller businesses want the behemoths of tech kept in check. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025

Streaming already accounts for 11% of the Sunday Night Football audience, and as the digital behemoths grow ever more powerful, the transition from the cathode-ray tube to the server farm is as inevitable as death and yet another miserable season for the Cleveland Browns. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Dec. 2025

On the other hand, Amazon — an online retail behemoth where many shoppers begin their product search — has taken the opposite approach. —Gabrielle Fonrouge,melissa Repko, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2025

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