juggernaut

Or Jug·ger·naut

[juhg-er-nawt, -not]

noun

1. any large, overpowering force or object, such as war, a giant battleship, or a powerful football team.

2. anything requiring blind devotion or cruel sacrifice.

3. Chiefly British.,  A large, heavy vehicle, especially a truck.

Juggernaut

¹

/ ˈdʒʌɡəˌnɔːt /

noun

1. a crude idol of Krishna worshipped at Puri and throughout Odisha (formerly Orissa) and Bengal. At an annual festival the idol is wheeled through the town on a gigantic chariot and devotees are supposed to have formerly thrown themselves under the wheels

2. a form of Krishna miraculously raised by Brahma from the state of a crude idol to that of a living god

juggernaut

²

/ ˈdʒʌɡəˌnɔːt /

noun

1. any terrible force, esp one that destroys or that demands complete self-sacrifice

2. a very large lorry for transporting goods by road, esp one that travels throughout Europe

Juggernaut

1. A deity in Hinduism, considered a deliverer from sin. His image is carried on a large wagon in an annual procession in India, and according to legend the wagon crushed worshipers who threw themselves under it.

A force, an idea, or a system of beliefs that overcomes opposition — especially if it does so ruthlessly — is called a “juggernaut.”

Other Word Forms

• Juggernautish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of juggernaut¹

First recorded in 1630–40, in the sense of an idol of Krishna annually drawn on an enormous cart in Puri, Odisha, India; 1840–45 juggernaut for defs. 1, 2; from Hindi Jagannāth, from Sanskrit Jagannātha- “lord of the world”; Jagannath ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of juggernaut¹

C17: from Hindi Jagannath, from Sanskrit Jagannātha lord of the world (that is, Vishnu, chief of the Hindu gods), from jagat world + nātha lord

Example Sentences

The original manga also sets it apart from other Japanese juggernauts like "One Piece", which spans over 100 volumes compared to just 23 for "Demon Slayer".

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When these columns first began reporting on the misuse of shareholder proxy votes for political causes, the trend looked like a juggernaut.

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Even so, the benefits of the American juggernaut are yet to be realized fully.

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Here, the CEO who built the company into a juggernaut talks about how the unconventional network fought its way into the mainstream.

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Uber's Macdonald said Tuesday that Germany and the UK were also first in line for European pilots from the sector's juggernaut.

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Related Words

• barrage 
• cavalcade