Goliath

American  

[guh-lahy-uhth] / gəˈlaɪ əθ /

noun

1. (in the Bible) the giant warrior of the Philistines whom David killed with a stone from a sling.

2. Usually goliath a giant.

3. Usually goliath a very large, powerful, or influential person or thing.

   a neighborhood grocery competing against the supermarket goliaths.

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Goliath British  

/ ɡəˈlaɪəθ /

noun

1. Old Testament a Philistine giant from Gath who terrorized the Hebrews until he was killed by David with a stone from his sling (I Samuel 17)

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Etymology

Origin of Goliath

Ultimately from Hebrew Gōlyāth, of uncertain origin

Explanation

Someone or something with an unusually large amount of strength is a goliath. Your soccer team might be nervous if you show up to a game and the other team's players are a bunch of goliaths. This adjective comes from the Biblical figure Goliath, who despite his greater size and strength was defeated by the young David. So while it's fine to use goliath to simply mean "giant" or "strong person," it's even more fitting for something supposedly strong and unbeatable that's actually vulnerable. You might challenge a goliath of a developer that's threatening to cut down the oldest maple tree in town — and, like David, you just might win.

Example Sentences

Goliath sued in South African court to be reinstated but lost—and is now showing her video installation at the Church of San Antonio.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Never mind that if he was the David, then the Goliath was the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s parking division, notoriously difficult to challenge.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Yet on the other side, that was still a heavyweight, a Goliath in red.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

They described the group's relationship with the BBC and Nye as a "David versus Goliath" struggle.

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026

My favorite story is David and the giant, Goliath.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt