colossus

American  

[kuh-los-uhs] / kəˈlɒs əs /

noun

plural

colossi, colossuses

1. (initial capital letter) the legendary bronze statue of Helios at Rhodes.

2. any statue of gigantic size.

3. anything colossal, gigantic, or very powerful.

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colossus British  

/ kəˈlɒsəs /

noun

1. something very large, esp a statue

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Etymology

Origin of colossus

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek kolossós statue, image, presumably < a pre-Hellenic Mediterranean language

Explanation

The original colossus was an enormous statue that was supposed to have guarded the ancient Greek island and city of Rhodes. Now, though, we use the noun colossus for someone of huge importance, reputation, or influence. In the world of American music, Louis Armstrong is a colossus. He invented or perfected many of the elements of what we now call jazz — there's probably no figure of greater importance in that field. Even the second most important athlete in the world seems small in comparison to the colossus that is Muhammad Ali. He is, quite simply, the greatest. In the ancient world, Rome was an imperial colossus. Few nations could rival its strength, size, or colossal growth.

Example Sentences

The social networking colossus raised its capital expenditures for this year to a range of $125 billion to $145 billion without laying out exactly how that investment would translate into profit.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Nexstar has built itself into a colossus through a series of acquisitions, including its $6.2-billion takeover of Tribune Broadcasting, the longtime owner of KTLA, in 2019 — during the first Trump term.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

It’s a remake that resembles another modern college sports colossus: Indiana football.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

The still-suing states say Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s 2010 merger formed an entertainment colossus that illegally dominates the market for major concerts, harming artists, fans and venues.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Mackintosh and his entourage were now entering Levittown proper, the postwar suburban colossus.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove