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

Trump’s Arch will commemorate his overnight mugging of Venezuela and his colossal misadventures in Iran. — Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a colossal pet project by the man who invented the Star Wars franchise, makes no apologies for looking like a spaceship arrived from outer space. — Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026

Like much else in Guatemala, the colossal, mint-green presidential palace where Arévalo sat down with me is a holdover from a bygone era of authoritarianism. — Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026

There was still the possibility that all of this had been a colossal instance of jumping to conclusions on Tristan’s part, and that the name Buster had been chosen at random for its mass appeal. — Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 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