bulk

1 of 3

noun

ˈbəlk 

also ˈbu̇lk

1

a

: magnitude

impressed by the sheer bulk of her accomplishment

b

biology : material that forms a mass in the intestine

especially : fiber sense 1d

need more bulk in their diet

2

a

: body

especially : a large or corpulent human body

He hauled his … bulk out of the armchair …

—Herman Wouk

b

: an organized structure especially when viewed primarily as a mass of material

… the giant bulk of Mt. Katahdin …

—Jackson Rivers

c

: a ponderous shapeless mass

3

: the main or greater part

spent the bulk of their time in the office

the bulk of the population

see also in bulk

bulk

2 of 3

verb

bulked; bulking; bulks

transitive verb

1

: to cause to swell or bulge : stuff

bulk out a report with lots of graphs and charts

2

: to gather into a mass or aggregate

intransitive verb

1

: swell, expand

2

: to appear as a factor : loom

a consideration that bulks large in everyone's thinking

bulk

3 of 3

adjective

1

: being in large quantities or not divided into separate units : being in bulk

bulk shipments of food

bulk mailings

2

: of or relating to materials in bulk

bulk prices

Synonyms of bulk

Noun

• majority

Verb

• collect
• assemble
• gather
• round up
• accumulate
• get together
• corral
• group
• garner

Choose the Right Synonym for bulk

bulk, mass, volume mean the aggregate that forms a body or unit.

bulk implies an aggregate that is impressively large, heavy, or numerous.

the darkened bulk of the skyscrapers

mass suggests an aggregate made by piling together things of the same kind.

a mass of boulders

volume applies to an aggregate without shape or outline and capable of flowing or fluctuating.

a tremendous volume of water

Examples of bulk in a Sentence

Noun

We spent the bulk of the summer at the beach.

Farming makes up the bulk of the country's economy.

The great bulk of these people are extremely poor.

Despite his bulk, he's a very fast runner.

Verb

she bulked up her hair with one hand as she reached for the shears with the other

Adjective

They sent bulk shipments of food to the country.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The relaxed yet polished shape gives you that effortless cool, while the luxe fiber keeps things warm without bulk—perfect for travel, chilly mornings, or cuddling up with a good book. —Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 26 Dec. 2025

This extends to the style, or lack thereof, in the early episodes, which suffer from limp doubling of Toronto for Washington and Generic Intelligence Agency sets that had to have been purchased in bulk. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Dec. 2025

Verb

Just bulk those puppies out, stop wasting your time. —Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025

Manufacturers artificially create sugar alcohols and use them as bulking sugars to cut the intense sweetness of other no-calorie sweeteners such as aspartame. —Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025

Adjective

Larger models are sometimes separated into two or more sections for bulk items. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025

The flagship store has a menu of 36 frozen yogurt toppings, a variety of international snacks and drinks, bulk bins of gummy candy and a cereal bar. —Susan Gill Vardon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Verb, and Adjective

Middle English, heap, bulk, from Old Norse bulki cargo

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

circa 1529, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1693, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bulk

• bulk large
• bulk out
• bulk up
• the bulk

Rhymes for bulk

• fulk
• hulk
• skulk
• sulk

Kids Definition

bulk

1 of 3 noun

ˈbəlk 

1

: greatness of size or mass : volume

2

: a large body or mass

3

: the main or greater part

did the bulk of the work

4

: fiber sense 1f

bulk

2 of 3 verb

1

: to cause to swell or bulge

2

: to appear as a consideration

an issue that bulks large in her mind

bulk

3 of 3 adjective

: being in bulk

bulk foods

Medical Definition

bulk

noun

ˈbəlk 

: material (as indigestible fibrous residues of food) that forms a mass in the intestine

especially : fiber sense 2

Legal Definition

bulk

1 of 2 noun

ˈbəlk 

: a large mass

bulk

2 of 2 adjective

1

: being in bulk

bulk shipment of wheat

bulk foods

2

: of or relating to materials in bulk

bulk buyer