bulbous

adjective

bul·​bous ˈbəl-bəs 

1

: having a bulb : growing from or bearing bulbs

2

: resembling a bulb especially in roundness

a bulbous nose

bulbously adverb

Examples of bulbous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are the Vamps, inflated shoes born of the puffy Y2K lineage of skate classics like Osirises or Etnies, taken to theatrical levels of bulbous. — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

From his breakout starring role in 1975’s cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Curry brought his bulbous eyes and madcap energy to every performance. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 8 Sep. 2026

Olivia Miles, the rookie point guard for the Minnesota Lynx, wears a pair of bug-eyed sports goggles, black and bulbous, sometimes held in place by a thick strap that runs through her luxuriant Afro. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

The boat falls into a sewer, and, as the boy goes to retrieve it, a face appears out of darkness—a clown, with spotless, uncanny white skin, a bulbous red nose, and untamed red hair. — Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bulbous

adjective

bulb·​ous

ˈbəl-bəs

1

: having a bulb : growing from or bearing bulbs

2

: resembling a bulb in being rounded or swollen

a bulbous nose

Medical Definition

bulbous

adjective

bul·​bous ˈbəl-bəs 

: resembling a bulb especially in roundness or the gross enlargement of a part

the bulbous expansion at the base of a hair