behemoth

noun

be·​he·​moth bi-ˈhē-məth  ˈbē-ə-məth 

-ˌmäth, 

-ˌmȯth

often attributive

1

usually 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

Particularly in the Central and West divisions, there is no spending behemoth upping the ante for the rest of the division. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Black, who helped found private equity behemoth Apollo Global Management, had been subpoenaed for multiple NDAs and to testify before the committee on Thursday. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2026

Depending on one’s vantage, the concrete behemoth evokes a spaceship or a naval vessel, an airport terminal or a bridge, maybe even a freeway overpass (very LA). — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Huge data centers are likely not going anywhere—training new frontier models and running AI models from leading companies will likely still be the purview of these behemoths. — Dina Genkina, IEEE Spectrum, 1 Sep. 2026

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