juggernaut
noun
Did you know?
The History of Juggernaut
In the early 14th century, Franciscan missionary Friar Odoric brought to Europe the story of an enormous carriage that carried an image of the Hindu god Vishnu (whose title was Jagannāth, literally, "lord of the world") through the streets of India in religious processions. Odoric reported that some worshippers deliberately allowed themselves to be crushed beneath the vehicle's wheels as a sacrifice to Vishnu. That story was likely an exaggeration or misinterpretation of actual events, but it spread throughout Europe. The tale caught the imagination of English listeners, and they began using juggernaut to refer to any massive vehicle (such as a steam locomotive) and to any other enormous entity with powerful crushing capabilities. While the word is still used sometimes in British English to refer to a very large, heavy truck (also called a "juggernaut lorry"), juggernaut is more commonly used figuratively for a relentless force, entity, campaign, or movement, as in "a political/economic/cultural juggernaut."
Examples of juggernaut in a Sentence
Devon Ivie, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2026
Many in-game units and other premium entitlements were reserved long ago by the official CFP sponsors, the lifeblood of ESPN’s January juggernaut since the format was introduced in 2015.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2026
At 35, Emily Henry has become the kind of publishing juggernaut most writers only dream of.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 8 Jan. 2026
Awards-season juggernaut One Battle After Another isn’t eligible for an for Artios consideration because its casting director is not a member of the guild.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for juggernaut
Cite this Entry
“Juggernaut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/juggernaut. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy Citation
Share