Definition of colossalnext

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 And this was an absolutely a colossal victory for the security of the United States. Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026 These colossal features — which appear even more imposing through a pair of 10X50 binoculars — are essentially scabs that formed billions of years ago when masses of liquid lava flooded the open wounds left by asteroid strikes, before hardening in the extreme space environment. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Feb. 2026 The agreement is the latest step in a colossal spending spree by Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026 Sidney Crosby's status for gold medal game The USA beat Slovakia 6-2 in the semifinals on Friday, setting up Sunday's colossal matchup between the two rivals. Michael Guise, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for colossal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colossal
Adjective
  • Their next album has to hit harder than the last, their growing Street Mob Records roster depends on their vision for the label, and a gigantic tour leaves no room for mistakes.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
  • But California’s high cost of living is a gigantic gripe.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Everyone’s broken, so the collective strength of the cast in keeping us on our toes about where this is all headed is a huge plus.
    Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Rich-girl flip-flops Flip-flops underwent a huge glow-up last summer, graduating from a beachside afterthought to a genuine fashion statement.
    Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi An enormous inland pool of clear water stretching as far as the eye can see, Lake Malawi offers many opportunities for affordable lakeside leisure.
    Melanie van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Massive billionaire funding in the race from artificial intelligence interests operated largely outside public awareness, with super PACs spending enormous sums while deliberately avoiding transparency about their true policy priorities, particularly regarding AI regulation[1].
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • China is testing giant airborne turbines A Chinese project is testing wind turbines that generate electricity from high in the sky.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
  • The one-night-only show, which won’t be televised or recorded as a special, is meant to be one giant party for comedy fans who’ve supported Koy and Iglesias since their early days.
    Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The vast majority of the strikes against internal security services thus far have been conducted by the United States.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
  • In the years following Deng Xiaoping’s turn toward a capitalist economy, some Chinese intellectuals felt a kind of spiritual malaise; Deng’s reforms had failed to provide moral direction for a vast and proud former empire.
    Chang Che, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The 54-year-old comedian with a beard full of gray stubble drops back to pass, launching a tight spiral underneath SoFi’s massive technicolor halo scoreboard hovering above a sea of empty stands.
    Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Linking these rooms is a massive sunken living room that, when the flaps are open, bleeds seamlessly into the deck with its deep couches and plunge pool.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • District 6 has tremendous real estate that has yet to be developed.
    Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
  • And just four companies hold 90% of California’s refining capacity, giving them tremendous market power.
    Paasha Mahdavi, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Customers enter through the building’s rear, up a flight of stairs and through a red door, which spills out into a sumptuous, 2,000-square-foot lounge with low tin ceilings, moody lighting and a mammoth Buddha statue.
    Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
  • This bit of mammoth tusk is about 2 feet long and looks more like a log than part of a big curved tooth from a hairy beast that roamed the tundra before going extinct thousands of years ago.
    Rob Stein, NPR, 4 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Colossal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colossal. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

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