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

In various regions, there is “a growing hesitation” over becoming too dependent on U.S. tech behemoths, which authorities have found increasingly difficult to regulate, said Vikram Singh.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Meta, another tech behemoth, has a slightly less massive cash hoard and is seen as likely needing more debt to realize Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg’s large ambitions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Rhodes went on to found De Beers, the diamond-mining behemoth, and became so influential that Rhodesia bore his name before it became Zimbabwe.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

S&P Global last month became the latest Wall Street behemoth to shell out for a private-asset data provider when it announced plans to buy With Intelligence for $1.8 billion.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Another BBC TV behemoth - Traitors - has risen to new heights this year with Celebrity Traitors, with up to 13 million viewers tuning in - more than double the number who watched this year's Strictly launch show.

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.