boulder

noun

boul·​der ˈbōl-dər 

variants or less commonly bowlder

: a detached and rounded or much-worn mass of rock

bouldered

ˈbōl-dərd 

adjective

bouldery

ˈbōl-d(ə-)rē 

adjective

Examples of boulder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Spend the day hiking among the boulders, arches, and jagged peaks of the Alabama Hills, where a number of movies, including The Lone Ranger, Gladiator, and Django Unchained, were filmed, before heading north. —Jessie Beck, AFAR Media, 17 July 2025

On Bouvet, snow petrels build their nests in rocky crevices on cliff faces, scree slopes and beneath boulders, which offer shelter from the fierce winds. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025

King Sisyphus was cursed to spend his afterlife pushing a boulder up a hill. —John Wiswell, People.com, 3 July 2025

Midnight Hole – Great Smoky Mountains, NC Why go: A dreamy, deep swimming hole with emerald water, surrounded by boulders and shaded forest. —Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

short for boulder stone, from Middle English bulder ston, partial translation of a word of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialect bullersten large stone in a stream, from buller noise + sten stone

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for boulder

• bolder
• bowlder
• colder
• folder
• golder
• holder
• molder
• moulder
• older
• polder
• shoulder
• beholder

Kids Definition

boulder

noun

boul·​der ˈbōl-dər 

: a large detached and rounded or worn mass of rock

Geographical Definition

Boulder

geographical name

Boul·​der ˈbōl-dər 

city northwest of Denver in north central Colorado population 97,385