colossal

adjective

co·​los·​sal kə-ˈlä-səl 

1

: of, relating to, or resembling a colossus

colossal statues

2

: of a bulk, extent, power, or effect approaching or suggesting the stupendous or incredible

colossal rock formations

colossal stellar explosions

3

: of an exceptional or astonishing degree

a colossal failure

a colossal bore

colossal ambition

colossally

kə-ˈlä-sə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• astronomical
• astronomic
• Brobdingnagian
• bumper
• cosmic
• cosmical
• cyclopean
• elephantine
• enormous
• galactic
• gargantuan
• giant
• gigantesque
• gigantic
• grand
• herculean
• heroic
• heroical
• Himalayan
• huge
• humongous
• humungous
• immense
• jumbo
• king-size
• king-sized
• leviathan
• mammoth
• massive
• mega
• mighty
• monster
• monstrous
• monumental
• mountainous
• oceanic
• pharaonic
• planetary
• prodigious
• super
• super-duper
• supersize
• supersized
• titanic
• tremendous
• vast
• vasty
• walloping
• whacking
• whopping

Choose the Right Synonym for colossal

enormous, immense, huge, vast, gigantic, colossal, mammoth mean exceedingly large.

enormous and immense both suggest an exceeding of all ordinary bounds in size or amount or degree, but enormous often adds an implication of abnormality or monstrousness.

an enormous expense

an immense shopping mall

huge commonly suggests an immensity of bulk or amount.

incurred a huge debt

vast usually suggests immensity of extent.

the vast Russian steppes

gigantic stresses the contrast with the size of others of the same kind.

a gigantic sports stadium

colossal applies especially to a human creation of stupendous or incredible dimensions.

a colossal statue of Lincoln

mammoth suggests both hugeness and ponderousness of bulk.

a mammoth boulder

Examples of colossal in a Sentence

a colossal statue of the town's founder

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisement France is under pressure from the European Union’s executive body and financial markets to reduce its colossal debt, estimated to reach 6% of its gross domestic product this year. —Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024

The action also has the proactive markings of a government and army still reeling from the colossal failure to protect its people from the Hamas massacre and mass hostage taking 14 months ago. —Dina Kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2024

While still dwarfed by the colossal fundraising and valuations of U.S.-based AI rivals, those numbers indicate a sea change in tech investing on the continent and in the Middle East, as reflected in this year’s Midas List Europe. —Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

In one 1941 cartoon by E. H. Shepard, who is best known for being the illustrator behind Winnie-the-Pooh, the then-prime minister was depicted as a brave, colossal dragon-slayer decked out in shining armor. —Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see colossus

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

colossal

adjective

co·​los·​sal kə-ˈläs-əl 

1

: of, relating to, or resembling a colossus

especially : of very great size

a colossal office building

2

: extraordinary, exceptional

colossal growth

a colossal failure

colossally

-ə-lē 

adverb