autojuggernaut
|au-to-jug-ger-naut|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊˈdʒʌɡərnɑːt/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊˈdʒʌɡənɔːt/
unstoppable automotive force
Etymology
'autojuggernaut' originates as a blend of 'auto' (from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self' and used in English for 'automobile') and 'juggernaut' (from Hindi 'Jagannath'), where 'auto-' signified the vehicle sense and 'Jagannath' referred to a massive ceremonial chariot later generalized to mean an irresistible force.
'juggernaut' entered English via encounters with the Indian deity name 'Jagannath' (originally Sanskrit/Hindi) and came to mean a huge, crushing force; 'auto' comes from Greek 'autos' via Latin/modern combining forms; the modern blended coinage 'autojuggernaut' combines these elements to denote an unstoppable automotive force.
Initially, 'Jagannath' referred to a deity and its ceremonial chariot; over time 'juggernaut' evolved to mean any massive, irresistible force — combined with 'auto' this created the current sense of an unstoppable vehicle or automotive powerhouse.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a very large, powerful, and often unstoppable motor vehicle or class of vehicles (literal or figurative); by extension, an overwhelmingly dominant automotive company, product line, or force in the vehicle/transport market.
The company’s new SUV lineup turned it into an autojuggernaut, crushing smaller competitors in every market.
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Adjective 1
describing something that behaves like or belongs to an autojuggernaut: massive, unstoppable, or overwhelmingly dominant in an automotive or transport context.
Their autojuggernautic marketing campaign made the model ubiquitous on city streets.
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Last updated: 2025/11/26 08:16