adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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bulkinessnoun
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overbulkinessnoun
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overbulkyadjective
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unbulkyadjective
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bulkilyadverb
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overbulkilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of bulky
Explanation
A giant box you need to carry to the post office, clothes you wear in the snow — both of these things are bulky or large and difficult to deal with. Inside the word bulky you see the word bulk which refers to the size of something, usually something large. When something is bulky, it has a lot of size or heft, though it is not necessarily heavy. Pillows, for example, are bulky. It's just big in an inconvenient way. Thick yarn, or a sweater made from thick yarn, is also said to be bulky. It's thicker than your average yarn.
Vocabulary lists containing bulky
Fish in a Tree
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The Boy Who Invented TV
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Everything, Everything
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Snap is making the counterargument: Users will want extra capabilities so much that they’ll overcome their reluctance to wear those bulky frames.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
For the category to be successful, AR glasses need to be less bulky, do more, put fashion first, and be cheaper.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
His alarm clock, a big and bulky machine that’s Bluetooth-connected to the house’s fire alarm, rattles his room until he finally shuts it off.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
Leamington's 'Library Of Things' opened earlier this year to let people borrow everyday items that might be too expensive or too bulky to buy and keep.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
And one of the bulky, freestanding wardrobes was backed up against it.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
