Goliath

1 of 3

noun (1)

Go·​li·​ath gə-ˈlī-əth 

1

: a Philistine champion who in I Samuel 17 is killed by David

2

: giant

goliath crane

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noun (2)

variants or less commonly goliath

plural -s

: a powerful traveling crane mounted on a movable gantry of large span

goliath heron

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noun (3)

variants or less commonly goliath

: a very large chiefly African heron (Ardea goliath) having the head, neck, and underparts brown and the back slaty gray

Synonyms of Goliath

Noun (1)

• whale
• giant
• monster
• dinosaur
• mammoth

Examples of Goliath in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the family-owned company lost the contract to a multibillion-dollar Goliath

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

His fight comes to represent a larger struggle against corporate greed — a rich theme that took on far greater resonance once the film had to go up against its own Goliath, in the form of Zaslav. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

But this David-and-Goliath story did not begin with data centers. — Rana Mitter, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

In a David-and-Goliath upset, the Angels stunned Jacob Misiorowski and the Brewers on Sunday afternoon, capping Milwaukee's three-day stay in Anaheim. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

So, how did David, small in stature relative to Goliath, defeat the giant without armor or a sword? — Linda Berckmann, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Hebrew Golyath

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Goliath

• Goliath grouper