bulk

¹ American  

[buhlk] / bʌlk /

noun

1. magnitude in three dimensions, especially great size or extent: a defensive tackle better known for his bulk than for his speed and agility.

   a ship of massive bulk;

   a defensive tackle better known for his bulk than for his speed and agility.

2. a body or mass, especially a large one: The granite bulk can be seen for 100 miles in many directions.

   The humpback whale was pushing its bulk through the water.

   The granite bulk can be seen for 100 miles in many directions.

3. the greater part; main mass or body.

   The bulk of the debt was paid.

4. Transportation. bulk cargo.

5. fiber.

6. (of paper, cardboard, yarn, etc.) thickness, especially in relation to weight.

7. bulk mail.

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adjective

1. being or traded in bulk.

   bulk grain.

verb (used without object)

• bulks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bulked,
  past participle,  past
• bulking
  present participle

1. to increase in size; expand; swell.

2. to be of or give the appearance of great weight, size, or importance.

   The problem bulks large in his mind.

3. (of paper, cardboard, yarn, etc.) to be of or to acquire a specific thickness, especially in relation to weight.

4. to gather, form, or mix into a cohesive or uniform mass.

verb (used with object)

• bulks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bulked,
  past participle,  past
• bulking
  present participle

1. to cause to swell, grow, or increase in weight or thickness.

2. to gather, bring together, or mix.

verb phrase

1. bulk up to increase the bulk of, especially by increasing the thickness of.

   Adding four chapters will bulk up the book.

idioms

1. in bulk,

   1. unpackaged.

      Fresh orange juice is shipped from Florida in bulk.

   2. in large quantities.

      Those who buy in bulk receive a discount.

bulk ² American  

[buhlk] / bʌlk /

noun

Architecture.

1. a structure, as a stall, projecting from the front of a building.

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bulk British  

/ bʌlk /

noun

1. volume, size, or magnitude, esp when great

2. the main part

   the bulk of the work is repetitious

3. a large body, esp of a person

   he eased his bulk out of the chair

4. the part of food which passes unabsorbed through the digestive system

   he eased his bulk out of the chair

5. unpackaged cargo or goods

6. a ship's cargo or hold

7. printing

   1. the thickness of a number of sheets of paper or cardboard

   2. the thickness of a book excluding its covers

8. (plural) copies of newspapers sold in bulk at a discounted price to hotels, airlines, etc which issue them free to their customers

9. 1. in large quantities

   2. (of a cargo, etc) unpackaged

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verb

1. to cohere or cause to cohere in a mass

2. to place, hold, or transport (several cargoes of goods) in bulk

3. to be or seem important or prominent

   the problem bulked large in his mind

bulk More Idioms  

1. see in bulk.

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Pronunciation

Bulk and bulge most often are pronounced with the vowel of buck. In South Midland and Southern U.S. the of book and bull commonly occurs among all speakers. Standard British speech has only . Both types exist in British regional speech, and both were brought to the colonies, where each came to predominate in a different area and was carried west by migration.

Usage

The use of a plural noun after bulk was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable

Synonym Usage

See size ¹.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• bulking
  present
• bulked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bulk
  simple
• bulks
  simple
• have bulked
  perfect
• has bulked
  perfect
• am bulking
  progressive
• are bulking
  progressive
• is bulking
  progressive
• have been bulking
  perfect progressive
• has been bulking
  perfect progressive

Past

• bulked
  simple
• had bulked
  perfect
• was bulking
  progressive
• were bulking
  progressive
• had been bulking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bulk
  simple
• will have bulked
  perfect
• will be bulking
  progressive
• will have been bulking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bulk¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bolke, bulke “heap, cargo, hold,” from Old Norse bulki “cargo, ship's hold”

Origin of bulk²

First recorded in 1580–90; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old Norse bálkr “partition, balk”

Explanation

Don’t be intimidated by the bulk of the dictionary on your desk. If you look in it, you’ll see that bulk is a small word used to talk about large things. Bulk has a variety of meanings that all involve something large, like the bulk of a ship in the harbor, or the excess bulk of your overweight cat. Bulk can also mean “majority,” as when the bulk of your diet is tater tots and guacamole. You can expect to put on a lot of bulk if you eat like that.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bulk bulks bulked bulking

The bears of Katmai spend summer and early autumn gorging themselves on salmon as they look to bulk up ahead of a long winter of hibernation.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

However, the bulk of the rain will fall in Scotland, Northern Ireland and western parts of England and Wales, with no significant or useful forecast further south and east.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

It was “able to run its entire list of 18 million voters” through the expanded system of checks “in bulk and for no cost.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

Those spirits look poised to benefit from that same workaround tied to bulk shipments and U.S.-based bottling operations.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

A tall shadow loomed over the badger, but it was just that: a play of light without weight or bulk.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

If the peptides are ultimately added to the bulks list for compounding, that does not mean they are FDA-approved.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

While it bulks up, the expansion in its markets’ business balance sheet also weighed on Wells Fargo’s net interest margin in the first quarter, the bank told analysts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

But the listing prompted at least two peptide companies to sue the FDA, arguing it was dragging its feet on creating the bulks list of allowed compounding substances.

From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2026

For a man who has always emphasised his desire to play good football, he cannot have enjoyed what he has seen for bulks of this season.

From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026

I had noticed it often as I went about the city, a long grimy many-towered ill-looking place, distinct among the pallid bulks and hulks of the Commensal edifices.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Berkshire also bulked up its position in Macy’s and the New York Times.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Those enhancements include better brand assortment, enhanced in-store experience, bulked up staffing, and seamless digital integration.

From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 2026

In doing so, he further raised his national profile and bulked up an already formidable fundraising base.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2025

J&J has bulked up with big cardiovascular acquisitions in recent years such as Shockwave and Abiomed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2025

It was a thin broth made from boiled elk hooves and a few slivers of dried deer heart, bulked up with rowanberries and the tough, tasteless tree-mushroom that the clans call auroch’s ears.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

The bulking philosophy is out of step with the modern game, where most young coaches spend their time drawing up space-age offenses and recruiting lightning-fast players to execute them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Rivals have been bulking up their international destination portfolios as well.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

He had to "change everything" about himself for the role, from growing an "awful beard" to changing his hair and bulking up his muscles.

From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2026

Jason Schloetzer, a business professor at Georgetown University, said in an interview that tech companies were still shrinking staff after bulking up during the pandemic.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 1, 2026

“Looks like the away team really puts an emphasis on bulking up.”

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

Related Words

• amount
• extent
• quantity
• total
• volume
• weight