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 of colossal

• gigantic
• huge
• enormous
• giant
• vast
• massive
• tremendous
• mammoth
• monumental
• immense
• astronomical
• titanic
• monstrous

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

Overall Winner World Food Photography Awards The Khoja Obi Garm sanatorium (health hotel) is a colossal concrete complex built on radon-rich hot springs in the mountains of Tajikistan. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

Designed to blur the line between indoors and outdoors, the home is organized as a series of pavilions surrounding a massive central atrium with a reflecting pool, sculptural curves, and a distinctive grid-like roof supported by colossal columns. —Mark David, Robb Report, 18 June 2026

The glasses, which were unveiled during a presentation on Tuesday, come with a hefty price tag of $2,195 and happen to be unfathomably colossal as well, a questionable design choice that invited plenty of mockery online. —Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 17 June 2026

These are players who have worked hard and earned their place here, some of whom will only play at one World Cup, and they have been put at a colossal disadvantage. —Nick Miller, New York Times, 16 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

see colossus

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for colossal

• apostle
• nitrosyl
• docile
• fossil
• jostle
• hypoglossal
• nannofossil

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