Synonym Chooser

How is the word colossal distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of colossal are enormous, gigantic, huge, immense, mammoth, and vast. While all these words mean "exceedingly large," colossal applies especially to a human creation of stupendous or incredible dimensions.

a colossal statue of Lincoln

How are the words enormous and immense related as synonyms of colossal?

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

When could gigantic be used to replace colossal?

In some situations, the words gigantic and colossal are roughly equivalent. However, gigantic stresses the contrast with the size of others of the same kind.

a gigantic sports stadium

When can huge be used instead of colossal?

Although the words huge and colossal have much in common, huge commonly suggests an immensity of bulk or amount.

incurred a huge debt

When would mammoth be a good substitute for colossal?

While in some cases nearly identical to colossal, mammoth suggests both hugeness and ponderousness of bulk.

a mammoth boulder

When is vast a more appropriate choice than colossal?

The words vast and colossal can be used in similar contexts, but vast usually suggests immensity of extent.

the vast Russian steppes

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of colossal But with a bright sun this year replacing the thunderclouds seen during last year’s parade, Sunday both looked and felt colossal. Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 23 June 2025 The leap from Regina to Karen might seem colossal, but Choi told The Guardian that the 2016 election led her to the latter’s creation. Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 3 June 2025 Argentina’s Boca have a seductive madness about them, engendered by their colossal support. Phil Hay, New York Times, 17 June 2025 Stakeholders are hopeful that U.S. fans will embrace the tournament, and that its 2025 edition will be a colossal success. Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for colossal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colossal
Adjective
  • George Shea, who still hosts the competition, helped turn the homespun event into a gigantic spectacle.
    Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
  • Israel doesn’t have any heavy bombers, stealthy or otherwise, capable of carrying such gigantic bombs.
    Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
Adjective
  • These benefits from huge Green Pine-series radars for early warning and to help cue fire control sensors towards incoming threats.
    Sebastien Roblin, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • But this scraping has sparked a huge backlash from publishers, artists and writers, who complain that it has been done without any consent or compensation.
    Billy Perrigo, Time, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • And for what? To cover only a fraction of the enormous cost of the bill, which will add more than $3 trillion to the federal debt by 2034.
    Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
  • With that enormous amount of moisture serving as fuel, the winds hitting the escarpment in West Texas served as a kind of match that started the storms.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 6 July 2025
Adjective
  • The bottom line is that this legislation acts as a giant wealth transfer from the poor to the rich and the young to the old.
    Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
  • The Senate's version of the giant tax and spending bill might eliminate tax credits for electric vehicle purchases even sooner than the House version.
    Camila Domonoske, NPR, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • The vast majority of fans in attendance were sporting orange and black.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 5 July 2025
  • And the company behind the bet was Google, which had acquired legacy phone maker Motorola Mobility and was leveraging its modern tech prowess and vast resources to make the Moto X smartphone a success.
    Verne Kopytoff, Fortune, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • Salesforce makes its own platform sticker, and your SaaS tool gets access to the massive Salesforce ecosystem.
    Bihag Karnani, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • In October 2022, BTS performed a massive free concert, titled Yet to Come, in Busan, South Korea.
    Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • While there has been a tremendous amount of misinformation—and in some cases, outright lies—about my bill, many people brought forward sincere concerns.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
  • Kling, who grew up in Kansas and turns 68 in October, has overseen a period of tremendous growth for the city.
    Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • And the Venus of Hohle Fels—the oldest undisputed depiction of a human being—was crafted out of mammoth ivory some 40,000 years ago.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2025
  • Playing amid a heat wave in St. Louis, Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz vomited on the field before returning to launch a mammoth go-ahead home run.
    Sam Settleman, New York Times, 22 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Colossal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colossal. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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