1

hulk

noun \ ˈhəlk \

|Updated on: 3 Jul 2018

Examples: hulk in a Sentence

Definition of hulk

1 a : a heavy clumsy ship

b (1) : the body of an old ship unfit for service

(2) : a ship used as a prison —usually used in plural

every prisoner sent to the hulks
—Kenneth Roberts

c : an abandoned wreck or shell (as of a building or automobile)

2 : one that is bulky or unwieldy

See hulk defined for English-language learners

See hulk defined for kids

Examples of hulk in a Sentence

The ship's rusting hulk is still visible on the rocks.
the burned out hulk of the factory

Recent Examples of hulk from the Web

The trip to Oxford’s Winter Institute, which was housed inside a Brutalist hulk of a building on the University of Mississippi campus, marked the culmination of a monthslong unraveling of their grandfather’s story.

— vanessa gregory, New York Times, "A Lynching’s Long Shadow," 25 Apr. 2018
Last night, as Navy fire fighters began cooling the hulk with streams of water, first proof was found that some of the missing nine persons died aboard.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "May 28, 1964: Ship aground on Silver Strand," 28 May 2018
But cheap gas isn't the only driver of the SUV boom: Today's models bear little resemblance to the hulks of yore.

— chicagotribune.com, "American automakers scrap cars, ceding market to foreign makes," 23 Jan. 2018
The Pines resort, where Ms. Greco Sunshine, a professional singer, made her regional debut in 1970 at the age of 10, and which closed in the late 1990s, is now a rotting hulk.

— c. j. hughes, New York Times, "In the Catskills, New Hope for the Return of Tourism," 27 Mar. 2018
But cheap gas isn't the only driver of the SUV boom: Today's models bear little resemblance to the hulks of yore.

— chicagotribune.com, "American automakers scrap cars, ceding market to foreign makes," 23 Jan. 2018
But cramming a decade of Marvel Comics story lines can make the movie seem like a hulk.

— gerard baker, WSJ, "The 10-Point.," 1 May 2018
But cheap gas isn't the only driver of the SUV boom: Today's models bear little resemblance to the hulks of yore.

— bloomberg, latimes.com, "Ford is saying so long to the likes of the Fusion and the Fiesta passenger cars," 26 Apr. 2018
Video on the state television channel ENTV showed a blackened hulk broken into pieces, with huge wheels scattered about along with other plane parts.

— Bloomberg.com, "Algerian Military Plane Crashes in a Field, Killing 257," 11 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of hulk

Middle English hulke, from Old English hulc, probably from Medieval Latin holcas, from Greek holkas, from helkein to pull — more at sulcus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

hulk Synonyms

Synonyms

clod, clodhopper, gawk, lout, lubber, lug, lump, Neanderthal, oaf;

Near Antonyms

brain, brainiac, egghead, genius, intellectual, sage, thinker, whiz, wizard;

Related Words

airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, bonehead, dimwit, dolt, dope, dork [slang], dullard, dumbbell, dumbhead, dum-dum, dummy, dunce, dunderhead, fathead, galoot [slang], goof, goon, half-wit, hammerhead, hardhead, idiot, ignoramus, imbecile, know-nothing, knucklehead, lamebrain, loon, lump, lunkhead, meathead, moron, nincompoop, ninny, noodle, numskull (or numbskull), pinhead, schnook [slang], simpleton, thickhead, woodenhead, yahoo, yo-yo;

boor, brute, cad, churl, clown, creep, cur, heel, louse, skunk, snake, stinker;

fool, goose, loony (also looney), lunatic, madman, nut;

2

hulk

verb

Definition of hulk

hulked; hulking; hulks

intransitive verb

1 dialectal, England : to move ponderously

2 : to appear impressively large or massive : loom

factories hulked along the river

Recent Examples of hulk from the Web

Tuna are aquatic freight trains — hulking engines of muscle engineered for traveling the globe.

— ali bouzari, SFChronicle.com, "Housemade: The magic of Liholiho Yacht Club," 22 June 2018
For two decades, developers have been turning those hulking Sears warehouses into live-work-play centers.

— pete corson, ajc, "The second lives of Sears buildings," 2 June 2018
There’s no shortage of undead monsters, hulking trolls, poisonous revenants, and other foes attempting to thwart your mission along the way.

— lisa eadicicco, Time, "Review: The New ‘God of War’ Game Is Different, Bold and Demands Your Attention," 18 Apr. 2018
These pictures feature hulking, shoeless men wearing tattered clothing, clearly survivors of war.

— tobias grey, WSJ, "Baselitz’s Art—Upside Down and Otherwise—Comes to Washington," 25 May 2018
Eager to show off American military might, President Donald Trump has tasked Pentagon planners to design an attention-grabbing parade in the nation’s capital bristling with warplanes, hulking vehicles, and marching uniformed service members.

— michael collins and nicole gaudiano, USA TODAY, "House passes defense bill authorizing pay raise for troops, new jets and President Trump's military parade," 24 May 2018
Dorella was the one who kept the family going, working up to 12 hours a day at the Mac factory, assembling hulking mechanical toolboxes, fitting each roller bearing and drawer just so.

— chris ballard, SI.com, "Same Warrior, New Battle: Brian Grant Won't Back Down From Parkinson's Disease," 2 May 2018
One hulking fellow, played by Gérard Depardieu, is first sighted sitting in a car, as an unidentified woman breaks up with him.

— michelle mcnamara, The New Yorker, "“Avengers: Infinity War” and “Let the Sunshine In”," 27 Apr. 2018
For decades the Bush family has been friends with hulking movie star turned politician Arnold Schwarzenegger.

— craig hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "George H.W. Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger's unlikely bromance," 25 Apr. 2018

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

First Known Use of hulk

circa 1825

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

HULK Defined for English Language Learners

hulk

noun

Definition of hulk for English Language Learners

: the main part of something (such as a ship, car, or building) that has been ruined and is no longer used
: a large person

HULK Defined for Kids

hulk

noun \ ˈhəlk \

Definition of hulk for Students

1 : a person or thing that is bulky or clumsy

2 : an abandoned wreck or shell of something (as a ship)

Learn More about hulk

See words that rhyme with hulk Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hulk Spanish Central: Translation of hulk Nglish: Translation of hulk for Spanish speakers

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