Colossal
/kəˈlɒs.əl/noun
Extremely large or great in size, amount, or degree.
Did you know?The word comes from the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the ancient world’s most famous giant statues, so a single monument literally gave English its word for enormous scale.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κολοσσός (kolossós)
“A giant statue or colossal figure.”
Late Latin
Latin
colossus
“A huge statue or giant image.”
14th–15th Century
French
colossal
“Of or like a colossus; gigantic.”
16th Century
English
colossal
“Enormous, huge, or gigantic.”