colossal
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From French colossal, formed from Latin colossus, from Ancient Greek κολοσσός (kolossós, “giant statue”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
colossal (comparative more colossal, superlative most colossal)
- Extremely large or on a great scale.
- 2013 June 22, “Engineers of a different kind”, The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 70:
- Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. […] Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster. Clever financial ploys are what have made billionaires of the industry’s veterans. “Operational improvement” in a portfolio company has often meant little more than promising colossal bonuses to sitting chief executives if they meet ambitious growth targets. That model is still prevalent today.
- A single puppy can make a colossal mess.
- 2013 June 22, “Engineers of a different kind”, The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 70:
Synonyms[edit]
- (extremely large): enormous, giant, gigantic, immense, prodigious, vast
- See also Wikisaurus:gigantic
Translations[edit]
extremely large
Related terms[edit]
French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Formed from Latin colossus, from Greek κολοσσος (originally used by Herodotus in reference to statues in ancient Egyptian temples).
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
colossal m (feminine colossale, masculine plural colossaux, feminine plural colossales)
External links[edit]
- "colossal" in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Portuguese[edit]
Adjective[edit]
colossal m, f (plural colossais; comparable)
- colossal (extremely large)
