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

The show “Wicked” doesn’t need a movie adaptation to be relevant — it’s already a cultural phenomenon, even before this first part of a behemoth two-film Hollywood version hits theaters.

From Los Angeles Times

When a “space race” between the United States and the Soviet Union erupted in 1957, however, the Cold War amplified the region’s flourishing commercial behemoth.

From Los Angeles Times

Especially while also spending billions in public money to prop up a greenhouse gas-emitting behemoth.

From BBC

But the behemoth rocket already has some impressive specs, and dwarfs all of its predecessors.

From BBC

We wanted to see how Kasparov fared against the AI behemoth.

From Salon

Related Words

• beast
• leviathan
• monster

More About Behemoth

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. 

Where does behemoth come from?

The first records of the word behemoth come from around 1350. It comes from the Hebrew bəhēmōth, a plural form of the word bəhēmāh, meaning “beast.” It is thought that the plural was used in the Bible to emphasize the creature’s might or monstrous size.

Interestingly, behemoth isn’t the only word we use based on a monstrous creature from the Bible. The word leviathan comes from the name of a giant aquatic beast mentioned in the Bible. According to one legend, the behemoth and leviathan will have a fierce battle on Judgment Day. Today, most people are likely unaware of the Biblical origins of behemoth. Now, the word is used generally to describe anything that is monstrous in size or power.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for behemoth?

• giant
• beast
• colossus
• monster
• leviathan

What are some words that often get used in discussing behemoth?

• huge
• powerful
• slow

How is behemoth used in real life?

Behemoth is a word people use to refer to someone or something that is very large and/or very powerful.

6-foot-6 behemoth Bryce Ball crushed that one, homer on a shin-high pitch. Think some teams are gonna regret passing on him all the way to #Braves in 24th round?

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) February 26, 2020

Amazon is a behemoth to deal with because they've sprawled into so many industries. In addition to selling products on their site, they do fulfillment for Ebay and Etsy; they have their own film studios; they own Whole Foods; the US Navy and NASA uses their web services.

— Charles Preston (@_CharlesPreston) December 14, 2019

Huge props to the entire crew that put together this behemoth of a show. All the tech, camera, audio, rigging, transport everything!

— Trevor Henry (@Quickshot) November 5, 2017

Try using behemoth!

True or False?

A building that towered over all the other buildings in a city could be described as a behemoth.