colossal

American  

[kuh-los-uhl] / kəˈlɒs əl /

adjective

1. extraordinarily great in size, extent, or degree; gigantic; huge.

2. of or resembling a colossus.

3. (initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a classical order whose columns or pilasters span two or more stories of a building.

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colossal British  

/ kəˈlɒsəl /

adjective

1. of immense size; huge; gigantic

2. (in figure sculpture) approximately twice life-size Compare heroic

3. Also: giant.  architect of or relating to the order of columns and pilasters that extend more than one storey in a façade

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Usage

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.

Related Words

See gigantic.

Other Word Forms

• colossality noun
• colossally adverb
• supercolossal adjective
• supercolossally adverb

Etymology

Origin of colossal

First recorded in 1705–15; coloss(us) + -al ¹

Explanation

Colossal describes something so large it makes you say, "Whoa!" You might have a colossal amount of homework, or see a colossal pyramid while vacationing in Egypt. Colossal can refer to an item's physical size, like a giant redwood tree, but it can also be used to describe the force or scope of something — like the colossal force of a thunderstorm that knocked down the redwood tree, or the colossal scope of your school project on the history of the redwoods that seems like it will never, ever end. It comes from the Greek word kolossos, meaning "gigantic statue."

Example Sentences

The kicker, which Calder admits in hindsight is a colossal red flag: He had to pay $12,132 to make the change.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

The colossal concrete building, which floats over the corridor and has been likened by some to a freeway overpass, shielded visitors from the bright sun.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Other men who have made colossal errors have retained their posts.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

Any extra efforts could worry investors who are already fretting -- bond yields hit records in January -- about Japan's colossal debts.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

It was a colossal plant, with leaves easily the size of a small mule cart.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

• enormous
• gargantuan
• gigantic
• huge
• immense
• jumbo
• mammoth
• monstrous
• vast