colossal

adjective

co·​los·​sal kə-ˈlä-səl How to pronounce colossal (audio)
Synonyms of colossal
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 adverb
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To use a sporting analogy, America's victory in the race to the Moon was against the run of play, the result of an incredible collective effort and a colossal budget. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 May 2026 Everything is framed by the set’s colossal, shadowy industrial space, dense with ladders and catwalks—the better for vampires to lurk. Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026 In 2019, Joe Biden vowed never to raise taxes on people earning less than $400,000 a year—a colossal sum, even in Greenwich, Connecticut, or Cupertino, California. Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026 Amid colossal spending on AI, many of these new startups are raising hundreds of millions within months of being founded. Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for colossal

Word History

Etymology

see colossus

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of colossal was in 1664

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Colossal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colossal. Accessed 3 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

colossal

adjective
co·​los·​sal kə-ˈläs-əl How to pronounce colossal (audio)
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 adverb

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