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colossus

noun co·los·sus \ kə-ˈlä-səs \
|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Definition of colossus

plural colossi play \kə-ˈlä-ˌsī\
1 : a statue of gigantic size and proportions
2 : a person or thing of immense size or power

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Examples of colossus in a Sentence

  1. The building is a colossus of steel and glass.

  2. Leonardo da Vinci remains a colossus in the history of art.

Recent Examples of colossus from the Web

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

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.

Origin and Etymology of colossus

Latin, from Greek kolossos

colossus Synonyms

Synonyms

behemoth, blockbuster, dinosaur, dreadnought, elephant, giant, jumbo, leviathan, mammoth, mastodon, monster, titan, whale, whopper;

Antonyms

diminutive, dwarf, half-pint, midget, mite, peewee, pygmy (also pigmy), runt, shrimp;

Near Antonyms

lightweight, weakling, wimp, wisp;

nonentity, twerp, whippersnapper;

Related Words

amazon, giantess;

bulk, hulk;

heavyweight;

juggernaut, steamroller;

COLOSSUS Defined for English Language Learners

colossus

noun

Definition of colossus for English Language Learners

  • : a huge statue

  • : a very large or important person or thing

Learn More about colossus

  1. See words that rhyme with colossus Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for colossus Spanish Central: Translation of colossus Nglish: Translation of colossus for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of colossus for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about colossus

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