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 When speaking to Rolling Stone in 2017 about The Soundtrack of Our Lives, a documentary tracing his colossal 50-plus-year career, Davis emphasized his lasting love for music. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2026 Danny Coulombe and Greg Weissert combined to allow five runs in a colossal sixth-inning meltdown, turning what had been a tight game into a blowout that the Braves went on to win 10-2. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 28 May 2026 To churn out thousands of those spacecraft each year, Musk called for a colossal catapult to be built on the lunar surface. Leonard David, Space.com, 28 May 2026 But the latest season, which debuted in February and chronicled the cast’s dramatic summer of 2025, exploded into a broader pop culture moment as fans began to re-examine Batula and Wilson’s on-screen interactions amid the colossal off-camera revelation. Pilar Melendez, NBC news, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for colossal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colossal
Adjective
  • And if the interest expense on our gigantic and ballooning national debt of $39 trillion weren’t already running at nearly $1 trillion a year, bigger than Medicare spending and equaling two-thirds of Social Security outlays, the half-point upward shift would likely prove manageable.
    Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 May 2026
  • Shah’s closest ally (and the person most willing to call Shah on his lies to himself and others) is his cousin Zulfi, a gigantic character who Khan energizes with fast-talking charm, sarcastic asides, and an assessing glare that can cut through anyone’s defenses.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Adjective
  • Ciber ’s team work quickly under netting to mount a huge Browning heavy machine gun onto tank tracks.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
  • The eighth-inning bomb was huge, too.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 30 May 2026
Adjective
  • Farmers are now hoping federal assistance will help offset some of the enormous financial losses.
    Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 28 May 2026
  • While technology will be the centerpiece, the facility — tentatively named the Connecticut Center for Applied AI — won’t have enormous banks of computer servers or the high-capacity energy and cooling systems that are trademarks of data centers.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2026
Adjective
  • Then there was every journalist, every giant corporation, trying to chase the same story.
    Steve Dollar, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
  • Sincere saunters into the villa wearing a tiny velour jacket and a giant winning smile that immediately puts me on guard.
    Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 3 June 2026
Adjective
  • Additionally, our commerce writers and editors have previously covered a vast array of travel-friendly beauty stories.
    Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 30 May 2026
  • Liberals, who unfortunately make up the vast majority of sports media, will celebrate athletes endorsing/hanging out with Democrat politicians, while shaming those like Dart that dare to be conservative and Trump supporters.
    Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
Adjective
  • Mullin took over from former Secretary Kristi Noem in March after she was fired not long after lawmakers pressed her about the department’s massive spending.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 June 2026
  • The massive red-brick building opened in 1900 and 12 million immigrants passed through its halls before the island closed in 1954.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Adjective
  • There is little doubt that this is a rapidly developing field and that there are tremendous upsides to be had, but at the same time, regrettably, hidden risks and outright gotchas come into these endeavors, too.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
  • By any measure, Antioch’s Brooke White has had a tremendous freshman season, starting for a state title contender, playing a sterling second base and leading the team in hitting.
    Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2026
Adjective
  • The dynamic came up again after a visit to Ultium Cells, a mammoth factory in Warren, Ohio, where General Motors and LG Energy Solution are building batteries for electric vehicles.
    Garrett Downs, CNBC, 28 May 2026
  • Parts of SpaceX, as the company looks to raise as much as a mammoth $80 billion in its IPO, remain close to the chest.
    Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 28 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Colossal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colossal. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.

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