behemoth

IPA/bɪˈhiːməθ/
KK[bəhˈiməθ]IPA/bɪˈhiːməθ/

behemoth — noun

  • behemothsingular
  • behemothsplural

1. something — especially a large company or organization — that has become so big

1.nounB2
Definition

something — especially a large company or organization — that has become so big and powerful that it is hard for others to match or compete with it

Example

Raj called the pharmaceutical company a corporate behemoth that crushed smaller competitors.

corporate behemoth

Valentina said her university grew into an administrative behemoth that no one could change.

Common collocations
  • corporate behemoth
  • retail behemoth
  • media behemoth
  • bureaucratic behemoth
  • tech behemoth
  • industrial behemoth
  • behemoth + of + [domain] (e.g., a behemoth of the financial world)
Synonyms
  • giant

    more common and can describe both people and things; 'behemoth' is more dramatic

  • goliath

    similar biblical origin and overtones of overwhelming scale, but less frequent in everyday use

  • colossus

    more literary and formal; often implies monumental influence rather than just size

Antonyms
  • dwarf

    something very small by comparison; often used in business ('a dwarf among behemoths')

  • minnow

    used in business contexts for small companies compared to industry giants

Grammar Patterns

behemoth + of + [domain]

Usage Note

Frequently applied to large companies, government agencies, or other organizations that dominate their sector. Carries a slightly negative connotation of being hard to control or compete with.

Common Mistakes

That new employee is a behemoth of marketing.
That new agency is a behemoth in the marketing world.
'behemoth' typically describes an organization or system, not a single person.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe something exceptionally large or powerful. 'Giant' is the most general and neutral — it covers companies, people, and objects without strong dramatic force. 'Goliath' shares the biblical origin with 'behemoth' and emphasizes an unequal contest (David vs. Goliath), so it suits David-and-Goliath competitive narratives. 'Colossus' is more formal and poetic, evoking the Colossus of Rhodes; it suggests monumental influence rather than aggressive power. 'Monster' differs by carrying stronger negative emotion — a monster scares or threatens, whereas a behemoth may simply dominate through sheer size. For a business context, prefer 'giant' or 'behemoth'; for a literary or political context, 'colossus' or 'goliath' may be more fitting.

giant ↗goliathcolossus ↗monster ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • corporate behemoth
  • retail behemoth
  • media behemoth
  • tech behemoth
  • bureaucratic behemoth

Phrases

  • a behemoth of the [industry/world/financial] sector
  • grow into a behemoth

Prepositions

  • behemoth of
  • behemoth in

Etymology

HebrewBiblical HebrewEnglish

The word comes from Hebrew 'behemoth' (בְּהֵמוֹת), the plural-intensive form of 'behemah' meaning 'beast' or 'animal'. In the Book of Job, Behemoth is a massive creature created by God to show divine power. By the late 1800s, English speakers had extended it from the biblical creature to anything of overwhelming size and power, especially large corporations and government systems.