bulky

1 of 2

adjective

ˈbəl-kē How to pronounce bulky (audio)
also ˈbu̇l-
bulkier; bulkiest
Synonyms of bulky
1
a
: having bulk
b(1)
: large of its kind
(2)
: corpulent
2
: having great volume in proportion to weight
a bulky knit sweater
bulkily
ˈbəl-kə-lē How to pronounce bulky (audio)
adverb
bulkiness
ˈbəl-kē-nəs How to pronounce bulky (audio)
noun

bulkiness

2 of 2

noun

bulk·​i·​ness ˈbəl-kē-nəs also ˈbu̇l- How to pronounce bulkiness (audio)
plural -es
: the quality or state of having bulk or being bulky

Synonyms of bulky

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of bulky in a Sentence

Adjective a big, bulky football player bulky packages might cost more to mail
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Kardashian’s shoe was a bulkier and heavier option, but at 5 feet, 2 inches, the reality star often relies on platform heels to go with her longer red carpet looks. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026 This is the perfect option for anyone who wants to stay warm as temperatures drop but tends to overheat and prefers to avoid bulky layers. — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2026 Rather than relying on a bulky conventional liquid-cooling system with heavy hardware, the concept uses a flow-through tail designed around the Venturi effect. — New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026 People with large or overactive chewing muscles, often from clenching or grinding, who want to soften a bulky lower-face look or ease jaw pain. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bulky

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bulky was in the 15th century

Rhymes for bulky

See All Rhymes for bulky

Browse Nearby Words

bulk up
bulky
bulk yarn
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bulky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bulky. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

bulky

adjective
ˈbəl-kē How to pronounce bulky (audio)
bulkier; bulkiest
1
: large in size or mass
2
: being large and hard to handle
bulkiness noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wraith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All