a person of exceptional importance and reputation
"The retired coach was treated like a colossus whenever he stepped onto the stadium floor to receive his award."
A statue of gigantic size. The name was especially applied to certain famous statues in antiquity, as the Colossus of Nero in Rome and the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
"The ancient harbor once framed a breathtaking view of the bronze colossus that stood guard over the entrance to Rhodes."