bulky

adjective \ ˈbəl-kē also ˈbu̇l- \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of bulky

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

play \-kə-lē\ adverb

—

bulkiness

play \-kē-nəs\ noun

See bulky defined for English-language learners

See bulky defined for kids

Examples of bulky in a Sentence

a big, bulky football player
bulky packages might cost more to mail

Recent Examples of bulky from the Web

But those radio signals can’t penetrate water, leaving underwater navigation to bulky, expensive systems based on ultrasound or gravitational fields.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "Lost at sea? This camera mimics way shrimp see and might help rescuers find you | Miami Herald," 4 Apr. 2018
As a determined, mature-beyond-his-years kid in the tiny Puget Sound community of Gig Harbor, Wash., Sam Scholl strapped a bulky piece of orthodontic headgear on his head and walked into school.

— bryce miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "'Special' Scholl offers heart, stability to Toreros," 3 Apr. 2018
Louisiana's elections will be getting a face-lift over the next few years, with plans underway to replace the state's decade-old bulky voting machines with sleeker, smaller equipment and beefed-up technology.

— drew broach, NOLA.com, "See how Louisiana members of Congress rate with Americans for Financial Reform," 30 Mar. 2018
There's Arash at 6, sitting in front of a bulky Tandy 1000 personal computer.

— eric adler, kansascity, "Blue Valley Northwest grad is a billionaire, thanks to the tech company he founded | The Kansas City Star," 28 Mar. 2018
The spacecraft is about the size of a bulky, oddly shaped refrigerator, festooned not with magnets but with mysterious nozzles and connectors.

— dennis overbye, New York Times, "Meet TESS, Seeker of Alien Worlds," 26 Mar. 2018
But microwave technology is bulky, and its quantum states don't last very long.

— adrian cho, Science | AAAS, "Weird vibrations poised to control quantum computers," 14 Mar. 2018
In Will's version, however, the actor does a spot-on imitation of Jaden's pout before hanging up a bulky dad-friendly phone in a soccer mom car.

— evelyn wang, Teen Vogue, "Jaden Smith’s Dad Will Smith Trolled Him by Parodying His Music Video," 7 Feb. 2018
The problem is, my deodorant tube is kinda, well, bulky.

— sarah kinonen, Allure, "Secret Deodorant Launches Freshies, On-the-Go Antiperspirants," 22 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bulky.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of bulky

15th century

bulky Synonyms

BULKY Defined for English Language Learners

bulky

adjective

Definition of bulky for English Language Learners

: large and difficult to carry or store
of a person : large and fat or muscular

BULKY Defined for Kids

bulky

adjective \ ˈbəl-kē \

Definition of bulky for Students

bulkier; bulkiest

1 : great in size or volume

2 : being large and awkward to handle

Learn More about bulky

See words that rhyme with bulky Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bulky Spanish Central: Translation of bulky Nglish: Translation of bulky for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bulky for Arabic speakers

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bulky

Definition of bulky

bulkily

bulkiness

Examples of bulky in a Sentence

Recent Examples of bulky from the Web

First Known Use of bulky

bulky Synonyms

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BULKY Defined for English Language Learners

bulky

Definition of bulky for English Language Learners

BULKY Defined for Kids

bulky

Definition of bulky for Students

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