Goliathize

/ɡəˈlaɪ.ə.θaɪz/ verb

Definition

To make something seem overwhelmingly large, powerful, or difficult to overcome, like facing the biblical giant Goliath.

Etymology

From Goliath, the giant warrior in the Bible defeated by David, combined with the suffix -ize meaning to make or cause to be. The term evolved to describe the process of making something appear impossibly large or threatening.

Kelly Says

This word shows how a single biblical story—just one battle between David and Goliath—became so culturally powerful that we created a verb from the giant's name to describe any situation that feels insurmountably difficult. That's the mark of a story that really matters to a civilization.

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