colossal
adjective
co·los·sal
kə-ˈlä-səl 
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
Synonyms
- astronomical
- astronomic
- Brobdingnagian
- bumper
- cosmic
- cosmical
- cyclopean
- elephantine
- enormous
- galactic
- gargantuan
- giant
- gigantesque
- gigantic
- grand
- herculean
- heroic
- heroical
- Himalayan
- huge
- humongous
- humungous
- immense
- jumbo
- king-size
- king-sized
- leviathan
- mammoth
- massive
- mega
- mighty
- monster
- monstrous
- monumental
- mountainous
- oceanic
- pharaonic
- planetary
- prodigious
- super
- super-duper
- supersize
- supersized
- titanic
- tremendous
- vast
- vasty
- walloping
- whacking
- whopping
Examples of colossal in a Sentence
a colossal statue of the town's founder
Recent Examples on the Web
This colossal exhibition included 89 participants with over half from Africa or the African diaspora, giving voice to a new generation of artists.
—
TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
The high school, a colossal, century-old Gothic Revival edifice serving a racially diverse student body of 2,000, ranks in the Top 10 percent of schools statewide, according to U.S. News and World Report, and routinely sends students to elite colleges.
—John Leland John Leland, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The New Empire is a followup to 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong, this time pitting the two behemoths against a colossal undiscovered threat that puts the survival of humanity at risk.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2024
The movie serves as a sequel to 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong and sees the two characters team up to face a colossal threat hidden deep within the planet.
—Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Mar. 2024
Related article Reopening the Port of Baltimore could take weeks as colossal wreckage cleanup gets underway, officials say
That’s well below the national rate of 3.9% in February and ranks 43rd out of 389 regions across the country with more than one million residents.
—Bryan Mena, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
The national Public Record Office was part of the complex, and that day it was caught in a colossal explosion.
—Ed O’Loughlin, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Building bridges is a colossal undertaking, though, and structures that still serve their purpose are unlikely to be replaced.
—Chris Quintana, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
Inspired by the traditional circular homes in the Casamance region in the south of Senegal, the museum is a colossal 150,000-square-foot, four-floor architectural marvel that rivals any global national museum.
—Funmi Fetto, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2024
TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
The high school, a colossal, century-old Gothic Revival edifice serving a racially diverse student body of 2,000, ranks in the Top 10 percent of schools statewide, according to U.S. News and World Report, and routinely sends students to elite colleges.
—John Leland John Leland, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The New Empire is a followup to 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong, this time pitting the two behemoths against a colossal undiscovered threat that puts the survival of humanity at risk.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2024
The movie serves as a sequel to 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong and sees the two characters team up to face a colossal threat hidden deep within the planet.
—Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Mar. 2024
Related article Reopening the Port of Baltimore could take weeks as colossal wreckage cleanup gets underway, officials say
That’s well below the national rate of 3.9% in February and ranks 43rd out of 389 regions across the country with more than one million residents.
—Bryan Mena, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
The national Public Record Office was part of the complex, and that day it was caught in a colossal explosion.
—Ed O’Loughlin, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Building bridges is a colossal undertaking, though, and structures that still serve their purpose are unlikely to be replaced.
—Chris Quintana, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
Inspired by the traditional circular homes in the Casamance region in the south of Senegal, the museum is a colossal 150,000-square-foot, four-floor architectural marvel that rivals any global national museum.
—Funmi Fetto, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'colossal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near colossal
Cite this Entry
“Colossal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colossal. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
colossal
adjective
co·los·sal
kə-ˈläs-əl
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a colossus
especially
: of very great size
a colossal office building
2
: extraordinary, exceptional
colossal growth
a colossal failure
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share