hulk

1 of 2

noun

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 hulksKenneth Roberts
c
: an abandoned wreck or shell (as of a building or automobile)
2
: one that is bulky or unwieldy

hulk

2 of 2

verb

hulked; hulking; hulks

intransitive verb

1
dialectal, England : to move ponderously
2
: to appear impressively large or massive : loom
factories hulked along the river

Examples of hulk in a Sentence

Noun The ship's rusting hulk is still visible on the rocks. the burned out hulk of the factory
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
That expectation of scrupulous care seems to contradict Tesla’s own marketing characterizing the Cybertruck as a tough, off-roading hulk meant to rival heavy-story truck models offered by veteran carmakers like Ford and Toyota. Popular Science, 14 Feb. 2024 Jags hulk Adam Gotsis sidelined QB Kenny Pickett for the second half by slamming him to the ground, injuring his ribcage. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2023 The reality-show Realtor Jason Oppenheim listed West’s four-bedroom, five-bathroom empty concrete hulk for $53 million. Vulture, 21 Dec. 2023 Soldiers guard gas stations and the hulks of shops emptied of most everything including food, appliances, beer and liquor during the industrial-sized looting frenzy at outlets big and small — from Walmart and Sam’s Club to neighborhood groceries — that immediately followed the storm. Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2023 But the agency completed only seven of a planned 17 reactors—demand for electricity grew slower than forecast—and today, unfinished reactor hulks lie scattered around the Valley. Robert Kunzig, The Atlantic, 25 July 2023 In the foreground a few spindly flowers, or weeds, are seen against the sky, while in the blurry background, the hulk of a semi rolls down a tilted horizon. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 27 June 2022 It would have been forgotten, just another rotting hulk, if not for the Klondike gold rush. David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 25 June 2023 The cornerstone of the Rams only title was a hidden hulk named Andrew Whitworth. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2023
Verb
To most people, the name instantly brings to mind the image of a hulking brute, dragging his mate around by her coif. James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 Wasserman has been hulking up over the past two years, most recently adding Caric Sports Management to its portfolio in April. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 18 Sep. 2023 As their longtime rival WME hulked up and went public under Ari Emanuel’s stewardship, CAA has been looking to transact in a wildly unpredictable landscape over recent years — particularly after ingesting ICM Partners in 2022. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 8 Sep. 2023 The secular decline of linear television has accelerated at a faster pace than many observers had anticipated, applying high levels of pressure upon the industry to hastily adapt to the streaming era and hulk up on digital platforms. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 14 Aug. 2023 The two men came to blows, with the hulking intruder eventually leaving in the truck. Jake Offenhartz, Anchorage Daily News, 22 July 2023 From State Route 41 near Salisbury, hike northbound for 2.7 miles to tag Lion’s Head, then continue 3.3 miles to Bear’s summit and its views of steely Mount Greylock (Massachusetts’ highest) hulking on the horizon. The Editors, Outside Online, 15 Apr. 2019 As for Willis, this lean, unimposing, harmonica-playing David was suddenly haunting the hulking Goliaths who had ruled the 1980s. Clark Collis, EW.com, 25 May 2023 Capturing the culprit In the basement of the Upper West Side apartment building, two hulking 500-horsepower boilers rumble, burning natural gas and releasing carbon dioxide. Cathy Bussewitz, Fortune, 15 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hulk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hulk was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hulk

Cite this Entry

“Hulk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hulk. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hulk

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a heavy clumsy ship
b
: the body of an old ship unfit for service or of an abandoned wreck
2
: a bulky or clumsy person or thing

hulk

2 of 2 verb
: to appear impressively large
factories hulking along the river
hulking
ˈhəl-kiŋ
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on hulk

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