What does colossi mean?
"Colossi" is the plural of "colossus," a noun denoting statues of gigantic scale — figures far larger than life size — as well as, by extension, people or things of enormous size, power, or importance. The word descends from Greek via Latin: the original kolossos was an oversized statue, a sense fixed forever by the Colossus of Rhodes, the towering bronze figure erected in the third century BC and numbered among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In modern usage, "colossi" appears chiefly in historical and archaeological writing about monumental sculpture, such as Egypt's colossi of Memnon or the seated colossi of Abu Simbel, but it is also used figuratively to honor giants in any field — intellectual colossi, industrial colossi, political colossi. The term carries connotations of awe, permanence, and human ambition on an overwhelming scale. Alongside the classical plural "colossi," the English form "colossuses" is also accepted.
noun"Colossi" is the plural of "colossus": a statue that is much larger than life size, or figuratively, a person or thing of enormous size, power, or importance.
- Plural of colossus: gigantic statues, especially those far larger than life size (e.g., the colossi of Memnon in Egypt).
- Figurative plural: people or things of immense size, influence, or stature (e.g., intellectual colossi of their age).
"The valley's ancient colossi have watched over the Nile for more than three thousand years."
"Tourists still marvel at the seated colossi of Memnon, each carved from a single block of quartzite."
"The nineteenth century produced literary colossi whose reputations have never faded."
Use "colossus" for one giant figure and "colossi" for more than one; avoid treating "colossi" as singular.
"One colossus stood at the temple gate; beyond it loomed three more colossi."
The word traces back to the Colossus of Rhodes — a bronze giant so tall it was counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World before an earthquake toppled it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of colossi
"Colossi" is the plural of "colossus," which entered English in the late Middle Ages from Latin "colossus," itself borrowed from Greek "kolossos," meaning a large statue. The Greek word was famously applied to the Colossus of Rhodes, the bronze sun-god statue erected around 280 BC and destroyed by earthquake decades later, which permanently anchored the word's association with gigantic statuary. Related derivatives include "colossal" and "Colosseum," the latter named for the colossal statue of Nero that once stood nearby.
Related word forms
How colossi is actually used
"Colossi" is the standard Latinate plural of "colossus," though the anglicized "colossuses" also occurs and is acceptable. It carries a tone of grandeur and awe, appearing most often in historical, archaeological, or elevated figurative writing rather than everyday speech.
Easily confused with colossi
"Colossus" is the singular form referring to one giant statue or figure, while "colossi" is its plural, used when speaking of two or more such figures.