behemoth

[bih-hee-muhth, bee-uh-]

noun

1. an animal, perhaps the hippopotamus, mentioned in the Bible.

2. any creature or thing of monstrous size or power.

   The army's new tank is a behemoth.

   The cartel is a behemoth that small business owners fear.

behemoth

/ bɪˈhiːmɒθ /

noun

1. Old Testament a gigantic beast, probably a hippopotamus, described in Job 40:15

2. a huge or monstrous person or thing

Word History and Origins

Origin of behemoth¹

1350–1400; from Hebrew bəhēmōth, an augmentative plural of bəhēmāh beast; replacing Middle English bemoth

Word History and Origins

Origin of behemoth¹

C14: from Hebrew běhēmōth , plural of běhēmāh beast

Example Sentences

But going from startup to tech behemoth is no walk in the park.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Deals like these will hardly result in behemoths the size of JPMorgan Chase or Bank of America.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That money is pooled and shared equally for now, but Manfred could offer the Dodgers and other financial behemoths a chance to keep more of — or all of — that money for themselves.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

They come with detainee families, packing City Hall meetings and demanding officials hold the prison behemoth responsible for the conditions.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It will accommodate 5,000 people, slightly more than in Rome two years ago, but certainly fewer than the 6,500 that fitted in the Paris behemoth in 2018.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• beast 
• leviathan 
• monster 

When To Use

What is a behemoth?

A behemoth is a thing or creature of enormous size or power, as in An elephant is a behemoth that even lions and rhinos are afraid of.The word Behemoth also refers to a monstrous creature from the Bible. In Job 40:15, an unknown large animal is referred to as a behemoth and is said to have immense power and eat grass. It is commonly thought that the animal being described is actually a hippopotamus.Example: The powerful company is a behemoth in the electronics industry, dominating the market.