colossus

noun

co·​los·​sus kə-ˈlä-səs 

plural colossi kə-ˈlä-ˌsī 

1

: a statue of gigantic size and proportions

2

: a person or thing of immense size or power

Did you know?

The original colossi (notice the plural form) were the larger-than-life statues made by the Greeks and Romans. The most famous of these was the Colossus of Rhodes, a statue of the sun god Helios built on the Greek island of Rhodes around 280 B.C. that was over 100 feet tall and took more than 12 years to build. The Statue of Liberty is a modern colossus, enormous and stately, at the entrance to New York Harbor. And someone who has played a colossal role in history, such as Winston Churchill, may be called a colossus as well.

Synonyms

• behemoth
• blockbuster
• dinosaur
• dreadnought
• elephant
• giant
• Goliath
• jumbo
• leviathan
• mammoth
• mastodon
• monster
• titan
• whale
• whopper

Examples of colossus in a Sentence

The building is a colossus of steel and glass.

Leonardo da Vinci remains a colossus in the history of art.

Recent Examples on the Web

When pro football historians John Turney and Frank Cooney applied a point system based on honors won to rank 60 senior nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025, former Chiefs left tackle Jim Tyrer towered like a colossus above the rest. —Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2025

Conceived during an administration often synonymous with malaise elevated to a kind of national mood lighting, the department emerged as a federal colossus, ostensibly designed to manage the nation’s educational system with promises of equity, excellence, and upward mobility. —Michael S. Rose, National Review, 4 Jan. 2025

So did the makers of today’s colossus name their project after the 1940s initiative? —John Werner, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

Mariachi Nuevo Santander from Roma High School in Roma, Texas traditionally bestrides the match-ups like a colossus, sporting flashy attire and impressive musicianship. —Joe Leydon, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek kolossos

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

colossus

noun

co·​los·​sus kə-ˈläs-əs 

plural colossi -ˈläs-ˌī 

1

: a huge statue

2

: a person or thing of great size or power

Etymology

from Latin colossus "huge statue, colossus"