It is most easily recognized by a large bony protuberance emanating from the anterior (front) of the skull.

Protembolotherium is another closely related genus from the Middle Eocene, which is distinguished by a noticeably smaller ram.

Complete skeletons of Embolotherium have not yet been recovered, although many postcranial elements referable to it have been collected.

The postcranial skeleton of Embolotherium suggests a powerful, graviportal animal with a close resemblance to the late Eocene North American brontothere Megacerops, which it rivaled or somewhat exceeded in size, making Embolotherium one of the largest brontotheres, if not the largest.

[2][3][4] Unlike many of the other Late Eocene brontotheres, there is no clear evidence that Embolotherium was sexually dimorphic.