colossus

noun

co·​los·​sus kə-ˈlä-səs How to pronounce colossus (audio)
plural colossi kə-ˈlä-ˌsī How to pronounce colossus (audio)
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.

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 From a realist perspective, the prospect of China as an economic colossus was a nightmare. John Mearsheimer, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021 Dominic Solanke gave Tottenham cutting edge in the attacking third while Micky van de Ven was a colossus in defence, also contributing an incredible solo assist for the first goal of the game. Graham Ruthven, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 Unlike Rhoades, a vituperative colossus, however, Williams brings a steely determination and a Joe Friday, just-the-facts mien to his lawyering in the court of public opinion. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024 Desperate to find a way to compete with F.D.R., a political colossus who had lately engineered the New Deal and ended the Great Depression, Willkie challenged him to a series of radio debates. The Editors, The New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for colossus 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'colossus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek kolossos

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of colossus was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near colossus

Cite this Entry

“Colossus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colossus. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

colossus

noun
co·​los·​sus kə-ˈläs-əs How to pronounce colossus (audio)
plural colossi -ˈläs-ˌī How to pronounce colossus (audio)
1
: a huge statue
2
: a person or thing of great size or power
Etymology

from Latin colossus "huge statue, colossus"

More from Merriam-Webster on colossus

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