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colossal
[ kuh-los-uhl ]
adjective
- extraordinarily great in size, extent, or degree; gigantic; huge.
- of or resembling a colossus.
- (initial capital letter) Architecture. noting or pertaining to a classical order whose columns or pilasters span two or more stories of a building.
colossal
/ kəˈlɒsəl /
adjective
- of immense size; huge; gigantic
- (in figure sculpture) approximately twice life-size Compare heroic
- Alsogiant architect of or relating to the order of columns and pilasters that extend more than one storey in a façade
Derived Forms
- coˈlossally, adverb
Other Words From
- col·os·sal·i·ty [kol-, uh, -, sal, -i-tee], noun
- co·lossal·ly adverb
- super·co·lossal adjective
- super·co·lossal·ly adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of colossal1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
“It was a colossal failure for her campaign to shine the spotlight on Trump more than on Harris’s own ideas,” he added.
The colossal piece of public art was created by Robert Vargas and faces a mural that Vargas painted of another legendary pitcher, Shohei Ohtani, on 1st Street.
"Descending into the colossal network of tunnels feels like entering a portal to the future, where the typical commuter chaos is transformed into an effortless experience."
The Tories are picking over their colossal election defeat and an election campaign seen privately by many in the party as a mess - not least because of the torrent of stories about betting.
Miraculously, scientists have now discovered that the tenacious penguins found a way to beat the colossal iceberg - satellite pictures seen exclusively by BBC News this week show life in the colony.
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More About Colossal
What does colossal mean?
Colossal describes something as being very large in size, degree, or amount, as in I went to a colossal shopping mall that stretched for a mile. If something is colossal, it is enormous, gigantic, or massive.
Colossal can also be used to describe a large degree of something, that is, a large amount or a large extent, like a colossal amount of boxes or a colossal advantage in the playoffs.
Less commonly, colossal describes something as resembling a colossus, which is a very large statue, as in The large man was so colossal that he blocked the entire doorway.
Example: Tyrannosaurus rex was a colossal dinosaur that towered over many of the smaller animals.
Where does colossal come from?
The first records of colossal come from around 1705. It is created from the noun colossus, which comes from the Greek kolossós, meaning “statue.”
Both colossal and colossus make a reference to the Colossus of Rhodes, an enormous statue of a Greek god that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The statue was said to be over 100 feet tall, and it was once a common myth that it straddled the harbor of Rhodes. The statue fell after an earthquake that occurred in the third century BCE.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to colossal?
- clossality (noun)
- colossally (adjective)
- supercolossal (adjective)
- supercolossally (adverb)
What are some synonyms for colossal?
What are some words that share a root or word element with colossal?
What are some words that often get used in discussing colossal?
How is colossal used in real life?
Colossal is a common word used to describe things that are very large.
Trying to help my 88-yr-old grandma register to get the vaccine in NYC and boy what a colossal mess this is…
— Will Feuer (@WillFOIA) January 11, 2021
I just had that realization in the middle of getting a haircut that "I've made a colossal mistake and can't go back now"
— Brandon Calvillo (@BJCalvillo) May 5, 2015
There as an absolutely colossal turtle that roams Ramtown's pond
— George Catanzaro (@CatanzaroGeorge) June 18, 2014
Try using colossal!
Which of the following things would NOT be described as colossal?
A. The Pacific Ocean
B. a mouse
C. Jupiter
D. a 100-story skyscraper
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