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bulky

bulky

35 2.3
Large and taking up a lot of space, like a big coat or suitcase
  • adjective
  • /ˈbʌlki/
translation icon : voluminoso
  • The bulky sofa takes up most of the small living room.
  • bulky item
  • too bulky
  • bulky waste

They're much less bulky than old fashioned warm clothing it was.

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Examples

  • Sure, it's a little bulky, tough to get on a plane.

  • He struggles to fit his bulky suitcase into the car trunk.

  • It's rather bulky, you know.

  • Yeah, it's a bit bulky.

  • I just feel like it's so bulky for this one little pan.

  • With a full figure such as yours... why do you hide it under all of this bulky clothing?

  • Because commercial fuel cells are bulky, they will likely be installed first in buses and vans.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Consequently, when used correctly, these devices reduce the need for wearing as much bulky, hot clothing.

    Academic text (2004)
  • And here's the thing, this suit is bulky as heck.

  • Some ships have cranes on deck to lift bulky and heavy cargo.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

heavy
vsbulky
812 1.0

A thing that has a lot of weight and is hard to lift

refers to size and space taken rather than just weight
awkward
vsbulky
71 2.5

Hard to move because of its size or shape

focuses on taking up space rather than being hard to handle
puffy
vsbulky
51 2.2

Rounded and soft in shape, often filled with air or soft material

means large in physical space rather than swollen appearance
cumbersome
vsbulky
22 6.7

Large, heavy, and difficult to carry or use

takes up lots of space rather than being mainly heavy
unwieldy
vsbulky
16 6.7

Hard to move because it is large, heavy, or oddly shaped

is mainly about occupying much space rather than handling difficulty
clunky
vsbulky
16 5.5

Something awkward and heavy in movement or design that is hard to use

describes large volume occupying space rather than awkward design
clumsy
vsbulky
12 2.2

Difficult to hold or carry because of large, awkward shape

describes taking up space rather than awkward movement
hefty
vsbulky
12 3.7

Being large and heavy in size or build

points to occupying much space relative to weight rather than heaviness
ungainly
vsbulky
4 7.3

Moving or looking awkward and clumsy

describes taking up large space rather than lacking smooth movement
corpulent
vsbulky
  • Formal
4 7.3

A person who is very fat with a large, heavy body

applies to objects that take much space, not people only

Antonyms

60 1.0

Thin and with little body fat

36 2.8

Weighing less than other items of the same type

How Bulky

enormous
842 2.1
massive
236 3.1
cumbersome
22 6.7
bulky
35 2.3
compact
60 4.1

Surface Forms

bulky positive

Morphology

bulky = bulk (transparent) = bulk + y

Clearly formed by adding the adjective-forming suffix '-y' to the noun 'bulk', yielding 'having bulk'.

Etymology

Bulky comes from the word bulk, which meant a 'large mass' or 'main part' and goes back to an old Norse word for a 'bunch' or 'load'. So, bulky describes something that takes up a lot of space or looks big compared with its weight.