colossal

adjective

co·los·sal | \ kə-ˈlä-səl

Definition 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

Other Words from colossal Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about colossal

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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

Traveling much farther than the fireball, a colossal pressure wave would hurtle forth faster than the speed of sound, generating winds up to 500 miles per hour. — Daily Intelligencer, "This Is What a Nuclear Bomb Looks Like," 12 June 2018 At Warhol Women, opening at Lévy Gorvy on April 25, you're confronted by the artist's bold, colossal paintings of female celebrities, society darlings, and modern icons. — Liz Cantrell, Town & Country, "Andy Warhol Fans Have Two New Must-See Shows," 25 Apr. 2019 Bouman's algorithm is a type of computer process that crunches colossal amounts of data allowing it to be interpreted — in this case, as a photograph. — Kristen Bobst, Teen Vogue, "Women Like Katie Bouman Helped Us See a Black Hole for the First Time," 12 Apr. 2019 Construction of the Wekiva Parkway bridges across the Wekiva River has begun, a colossal task in a fragile ecosystem with the tricky goal of hiding a mass of concrete amid cypress canopies. — Kevin Spear, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Wekiva River bridges will be massive but sensitive to environment," 25 Jan. 2018 The president unaware of his colossal error, Pelosi and Schumer exited the room looking practically ready to do a jig. — Erik Maza, Town & Country, "Nancy Pelosi's Red Fire Coat is Officially Available to Buy," 14 Mar. 2019 But a prominent nuclear organization just weighed in, arguing that such a plan is a colossal mistake. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Critics Roast the Department of Defense’s Battlefield Nuclear Reactor," 25 Feb. 2019 The answer would not begin: ‘First, leave the EU.’ Because that would be the most colossal waste of time, effort and money.... There will still be immigration across porous borders. — Monitor Editors, The Christian Science Monitor, "Expect more of the same during President Putin’s next term, Pompeo appointment signals a more extreme US foreign policy, ‘Brexit’ is a colossal waste, Saudi Arabia flags a nuclear arms race, Aung San Suu Kyi stays silent on the Rohingya genocide," 31 Mar. 2018 SpaceX’s colossal Falcon Heavy has taken flight With an incredible run of launches by government and commercial operators, 2018 has been a banner year for spaceflight. — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, "Talk amongst yourselves: 2018’s most-commented stories on Ars," 24 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'colossal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.