colossus

noun

co·​los·​sus kə-ˈlä-səs How to pronounce colossus (audio)
plural colossi kə-ˈlä-ˌsī How to pronounce colossus (audio)
1
: a statue of gigantic size and proportions
2
: a person or thing of immense size or power

Did you know?

The original colossi (notice the plural form) were the larger-than-life statues made by the Greeks and Romans. The most famous of these was the Colossus of Rhodes, a statue of the sun god Helios built on the Greek island of Rhodes around 280 B.C. that was over 100 feet tall and took more than 12 years to build. The Statue of Liberty is a modern colossus, enormous and stately, at the entrance to New York Harbor. And someone who has played a colossal role in history, such as Winston Churchill, may be called a colossus as well.

Examples of colossus in a Sentence

The building is a colossus of steel and glass. Leonardo da Vinci remains a colossus in the history of art.
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.
Lacking an Oppenheimer-level colossus, this season has spread the wealth among several unconventional contenders. Britina Cheng, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025 The Swiss colossus crafted a sophisticated campaign to justify more than double that amount, enlisting a team of respected academics, data-modelers and pricing strategists to help make its case. Robin Fields, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025 Dunk is not the colossus of old Is age and fitness finally catching up to Lewis Dunk? Andy Naylor, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024 When pro football historians John Turney and Frank Cooney applied a point system based on honors won to rank 60 senior nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025, former Chiefs left tackle Jim Tyrer towered like a colossus above the rest. Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for colossus

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek kolossos

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of colossus was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Colossus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colossus. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

colossus

noun
co·​los·​sus kə-ˈläs-əs How to pronounce colossus (audio)
plural colossi -ˈläs-ˌī How to pronounce colossus (audio)
1
: a huge statue
2
: a person or thing of great size or power
Etymology

from Latin colossus "huge statue, colossus"

More from Merriam-Webster on colossus

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