juggernaut

juggernaut
noun
jug·;ger·;naut ;j;-g;r-;n;t  -;n;t
Synonyms of juggernaut
1
: a massive inexorable force, campaign, movement, or object that crushes whatever is in its path
an advertising juggernaut
a political juggernaut
2
chiefly British : a large heavy truck


Did you know?
The History of Juggernaut

In the early 14th century, Franciscan missionary Friar Odoric brought to Europe the story of an enormous carriage that carried an image of the Hindu god Vishnu (whose title was Jagann;th, literally, "lord of the world") through the streets of India in religious processions. Odoric reported that some worshippers deliberately allowed themselves to be crushed beneath the vehicle's wheels as a sacrifice to Vishnu. That story was likely an exaggeration or misinterpretation of actual events, but it spread throughout Europe. The tale caught the imagination of English listeners, and they began using juggernaut to refer to any massive vehicle (such as a steam locomotive) and to any other enormous entity with powerful crushing capabilities. While the word is still used sometimes in British English to refer to a very large, heavy truck (also called a "juggernaut lorry"), juggernaut is more commonly used figuratively for a relentless force, entity, campaign, or movement, as in "a political/economic/cultural juggernaut."

Synonyms
bandwagon
blitz
campaign
cause
crusade
drive
movement
push
Examples of juggernaut in a Sentence
there was no escaping the juggernaut of hype for the studio's biggest summer blockbuster
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This was a time early in the season when Kansas seemed to be an insurmountable juggernaut, full of high-profile transfers such as Zeke Mayo and AJ Storr, All-American candidates such as Hunter Dickinson and veterans accustomed to winning.
—Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
Colorado isn’t an offensive juggernaut either, but the Buffaloes do have a go-to scorer in Julian Hammond.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Mar. 2025
The Wolverines are ranked No. 2 in 7A, but the heavy favorite is juggernaut Columbus (25-3), which has won the past three large-class state titles with the Boozer boys, Cameron and Cayden, leading the way.
—Buddy Collings, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2025
Tax software juggernaut Intuit is on Wall Street’s radar after the company issued a strong quarterly report – and the stock happens to be a dividend payer.
—Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2025

Word History
Etymology
Hindi Jagann;th, literally, lord of the world, title of Vishnu

First Known Use
1841, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of juggernaut was in 1841
See more words from the same year