Goliath

noun

Go·​li·​ath gə-ˈlī-əth How to pronounce Goliath (audio)
1
: a Philistine champion who in I Samuel 17 is killed by David
2
: giant

Examples of Goliath in a Sentence

the family-owned company lost the contract to a multibillion-dollar Goliath
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
David meets Goliath on digital steroids Spynn’s competition reads like a who’s who of PR aristocracy, with their century-old pedigree and admiration from Fortune 500 companies. Ascend Agency, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2025 Proponents of the nation’s lower-division terrain also speak of the Cosmos — arguably the most successful second-division team of the modern era, dominating the NASL from 2013 to 2017 — with a sort of begrudging respect, a lucrative Goliath that forcibly cast every opponent as that match’s David. Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 10 July 2025 As Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie took on the role of hapless underdog against the heavy favorite Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court on Tuesday, another David and Goliath battle was taking place in the High Court. Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025 The 11-seed Girl Next Door (Wooden Cask) continues its historic run with a spot in the Final Four, but next up is a true David vs. Goliath match against last year's champ, 1-seed Crazy Norse (Barleycorn's). Rasputin Todd, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for Goliath

Word History

Etymology

Hebrew Golyath

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Goliath was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Goliath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Goliath. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

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