Make Your Point: JUGGERNAUT

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pronounce JUGGERNAUT:

JUG ur not

connect this word to others:

As we explore the word juggernaut, a type of idol, see if you can recall the word for someone who smashes idols. Whether you smash literal idols (works of art in churches) or figurative idols (cherished beliefs in populations), you're an icono_____.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Juggernaut" traces back to a Hindi word that literally means "lord of the world."

According to Hindu mythology, a juggernaut is a giant idol dragged through the streets on a cart, compelling worshipers to throw themselves under its wheels to be killed.

Today, the word can mean "an oversized vehicle," or more loosely, "anything big and powerful that seems to crush people, or causes people to stupidly adore it."

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Most often a noun, the countable kind: "It's a juggernaut;" "Microsoft and Apple grew into juggernauts."

"Juggernaut" can also be a verb meaning "to crush [things or people] to death by rolling over them," but that's pretty rare.

Other forms:

The only other common form is the plural, "juggernauts."

how to use it:

When you need a rare, flashy, emphatic word for something that terrifies you with its power and destruction, pick "juggernaut."

Journalists often apply this word hyperbolically to hugely popular, hugely money-making things, such as sports leagues (like the NFL), pop artists (like U2), television shows (like Keeping Up With the Kardashians), and movie franchises (like Batman).

examples:

"The pilot brought his ship in gently. It rolled down the new concrete strip, a silver juggernaut in a cloud of red dust."
— Allan Chase, The Five Arrows, 1944

"On One America newscasts, the Trump administration is a juggernaut of progress, a shining success with a daily drumbeat of achievements."
— Marc Fisher, Washington Post, 5 July 2017

has this page helped you understand "juggernaut"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "juggernaut" without saying "beast" or "steamroller."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(Some trend, company, website, or social media platform) is a juggernaut, crushing other (things) in its path."

Example: "Amazon is a juggernaut, crushing other sellers in its path."

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "That’s What They Said."

Consider a quote from The Office, and decide which of three given terms you can most easily connect it to. You can see my suggested answer by scrolling to the bottom of the issue. But yours doesn't need to match mine.

For example, if I give you this:

Kelly: "I talk a lot, so I've learned to just tune myself out." Abstemious, garrulous, or ominous?

Then you might answer, "Garrulous, because Kelly talks on and on."

Try this one today:

Dwight: "Whenever I'm about to do something, I think, 'Would an idiot do that?' and if they would, I do not do that thing." Judicious, laborious, or tedious?

review this word:

1. A near opposite of a JUGGERNAUT is

A. a VARIETY.
B. a PUSHOVER.
C. an INSIGHT.

2. In Nectar in a Sieve, Kamala Markandaya wrote, "And because [the tannery] grew and flourished it got the power that money brings, so that to attempt to withstand it was like trying to stop the _____ of the great juggernaut."

A. spread
B. onward rush
C. terrible rise

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > JUGGERNAUT

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