What is the Latin word for colossal?

The usual Latin words for “colossal” are colossicus, colossēus, vāstus; also immānis, colossus, mōlēs. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“colossal” in Latin

colossicuscolossal, gigantic colossēuscolossal, huge, gigantic vāstusEmpty, unoccupied, i.e. waste, desert.; Desolate, deserted, made lonely.; Wasted by destruction, laid waste, ravaged, de immānisimmense, enormous, huge, vast; brutal, inhuman, frightful, savage colossuscolossus, giant statue mōlēsmultitude, mass (of material); size; rock, boulder, cliff, ridge, outcrop, knoll

The English word colossal itself goes back to Latin colossus.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

colossal

colossicus: colosseus (PROP.): vastus: immanis. (The words are found in this connection and order) vastus et immanis: a colossal statue, colossus: statua colossica or colossea: signum colossicum: moles (colossal mass. etc.; e.g., moles imperii, colossal empire).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for colossal?: The usual Latin words for “colossal” are colossicus, colossēus, vāstus; also immānis, colossus, mōlēs. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.