hulk

1 of 2

noun

ˈhəlk 

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

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

Synonyms

Noun

• lump
• loser
• villain
• idiot
• brute
• moron
• mutt
• beast
• clown
• turkey
• stupid
• lout
• oaf
• palooka
• skunk
• goose

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

Like the ghostly hulk of the Titanic below the surface of the sea, Northbrook Court is a quiet and cavernous relic — at the bottom of the retail food chain. —David Petitti, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025

The first night, the characters are menaced by a bald hulk in overalls, wearing a clown mask with the mouth area (including his teeth) smashed in. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 25 Apr. 2025

Verb

My father, a formidable man who had been a heavyweight boxer in his youth and retained his imposing physique well into his sixties, hulked over the faucet. —Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 14 June 2025

Heck, it’s got Harrison Ford (literally) hulking out, which is worth the price of admission. —Barry Levitt, Vulture, 1 May 2025

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

Rhymes for hulk

• bulk
• fulk
• skulk
• sulk

Kids Definition

hulk

1 of 2 noun

ˈhəlk 

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