bulky

adjective

ˈbəl-kē 

 also  ˈbu̇l-

bulkier; bulkiest

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 

adverb

bulkiness

ˈbəl-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• big
• biggish
• boxcar
• considerable
• goodly
• grand
• great
• handsome
• hefty
• hulking
• husky
• large
• largish
• outsize
• outsized
• oversize
• oversized
• sizable
• sizeable
• substantial
• tidy
• voluminous

Examples of bulky in a Sentence

a big, bulky football player

bulky packages might cost more to mail

Recent Examples on the Web

Cinema cameras are too bulky to mount on Formula One cars for filming at high speed, and mounting a GoPro wasn't exactly what F1 cinematographer Claudio Miranda and director Joseph Kosinski were considering. —Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025

The top section is relatively bulky with a USB-C port and a button to control the shades at one end. —Simon Hill, Wired News, 18 June 2025

This entails a design that is lightweight, easy to maneuver, and doesn’t feel bulky. —Olivia Cigliano, Footwear News, 12 June 2025

However, the smaller Israeli missile corvettes have some advantages over their much bulkier counterparts serving in the all-mighty U.S. Navy. —Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for bulky

• sulky

Kids Definition

bulky

adjective

ˈbəl-kē 

bulkier; bulkiest

1

: large in size or mass

2

: being large and hard to handle

bulkiness noun