A colossus is something enormous, powerful, and impressive, often towering over everything around it. The word originally referred to gigantic statues in ancient times, particularly the Colossus of Rhodes, a massive bronze statue of the sun god Helios that stood over 100 feet tall near the entrance to a Greek harbor around 280 BC until an earthquake toppled it. Though it stood for less than a century, it was renowned as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Today we use colossus to describe anything of overwhelming size or power. A technology company that dominates its industry might be called a colossus of Silicon Valley. A basketball player who towers over opponents and controls the game could be a colossus on the court. When historians call ancient Rome a colossus, they mean it was a civilization so powerful and vast that it dominated the world around it.

The word carries a sense of awe. A colossus doesn't just happen to be big: it's so massive or powerful that it changes everything around it and captures everyone's attention.