juggernaut
/ˈd͡ʒʌɡ.ɚ.nɔt/noun
juggernaut is spelled J-U-G-G-E-R-N-A-U-T: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 29,270th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, juggernaut means “A literal or metaphorical force or object regarded as unstoppable, that will crush all in its path” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of juggernaut is juggernauts.
How many letters and syllables are in juggernaut?
| Letters | 10: J-U-G-G-E-R-N-A-U-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 29,270th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is juggernaut?
Juggernaut appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 29,270th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce juggernaut?
- UK /ˈd͡ʒʌɡ.ə.nɔːt/
- US /ˈd͡ʒʌɡ.ɚ.nɔt/
- /ˈd͡ʒʌɡ.ɚ.nɑt/
Juggernaut has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-juggernaut.ogg, En-au-juggernaut.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of juggernaut
- juggernauts plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does juggernaut mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A literal or metaphorical force or object regarded as unstoppable, that will crush all in its path.
- 2
IrelandUKderogatoryA large, cumbersome truck or lorry, especially an articulated lorry.
- 3
An institution that incites destructive devotion or to which people are carelessly sacrificed.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Juggernaut in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | rouleau compresseur , poids lourd |
| Spanish | monstruo, gigante |
| German | Lastkraftwagen, Monstertruck , Moloch |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does juggernaut come from?
Borrowed in the 17th century into British English in India, either through Hindustani جَگَنَّاتھ (jagannāth) / जगन्नाथ (jagannāth) or directly from Odia ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ (jagannātha), ultimately from Sanskrit ज॒ग॒न्ना॒थ (jagannāthá, “lord of universe”) (Jagannatha), a title for the Hindu deity Vishnu's avatar Krishna. The sense comes from witnessing the Rath Yatra (chariot parade) at Puri, Odisha, a huge annual procession which features a wagon of the idol of Jagannath; pulled with ropes by hundreds of devotees, the wagon develops considerable momentum and becomes unstoppable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).