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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
/ əˈɒə /
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
- ˈDz, adverb
Other Word Forms
- DZ·Dz···ٲ [kol-, uh, -, sal, -i-tee], noun
- ·Dzs· adverb
- p··Dzs adjective
- super··Dzs· adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of colossal1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
In a post on his blog, Knoepfler called Colossal’s claims “colossal baloney” and warned, “this kind of hype is toxic and harmful to science including public trust.”
His dad’s artwork hung between Aparicio’s colossal rubber castings dangling from the ceiling, embodying residual markings.
The colossal squid, the world’s largest squid species, was caught on video for the first time swimming in its natural habitat, according to a California ocean research organization.
But when this colossal chess game ends with the Mistress of Mayhem maiming her adversary, “The Art of Personal Chaos” transitions into something even more extraordinary.
A colossal squid has been filmed in its natural environment for the first time since the species was discovered 100 years ago.
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More About Colossal
doescolossal 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 doescolossal come from?
The first records of colossal come from around 1705. It is created from the noun colossus, which comes from the Greek DZDzó, 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 ... ?
are some other forms related to colossal?
- clossality (noun)
- colossally (adjective)
- supercolossal (adjective)
- supercolossally (adverb)
are some synonyms for colossal?
are some words that share a root or word element with colossal?
are some words that often get used in discussing colossal?
How iscolossal 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)
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)
There as an absolutely colossal turtle that roams Ramtown's pond
— George Catanzaro (@CatanzaroGeorge)
Try usingcolossal!
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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