bulk

bulk — noun

1. If goods are bought or sold in bulk, many units are handled in one lot.

1.名詞C1
釋義

If goods are bought or sold in bulk, many units are handled in one lot.

例句

The cafe buys coffee beans in bulk from a farm in Chiayi.

fixed phrase: in bulk

Hospitals order gloves in bulk before the winter flu season.

同義詞
  • wholesale

    common in business and selling, especially to shops rather than single buyers

  • in quantity

    more formal and less common in everyday speech

  • in large lots

    a plain explanatory phrase rather than a set business term

反義詞
  • retail

    means sold or bought one item at a time for ordinary customers

文法句型

in bulk

用法筆記

Nearly always appears in the fixed phrase 'in bulk' after verbs such as buy, sell, order, ship, print, or store. It is mainly used for goods and supplies, not for people.

常見錯誤

❌We bought chairs by bulk.
✅We bought chairs in bulk.
💡this sense uses the fixed phrase 'in bulk'.

2. the biggest part of something, especially when little is left outside it.

2.名詞C1
釋義

the biggest part of something, especially when little is left outside it.

例句

The bulk of our budget goes to rent and bus fares.

the bulk of + uncountable noun

By noon, the bulk of the guests had already arrived.

the bulk of + plural noun

同義詞
  • most

    the everyday choice and less formal than 'bulk'

  • majority

    often used with numbers, votes, or groups divided into two sides

  • main part

    a plain explanatory phrase with little formal tone

  • lion's share

    informal and suggests one part is much larger than the rest

反義詞
  • minority

    used when the smaller part is being emphasized

  • remainder

    focuses on what is left after the main part

文法句型

the bulk of + noun

用法筆記

Almost always used as 'the bulk of + noun'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense means 'most of', not 'in large lots'.

常見錯誤

❌The bulk from the work is already finished.
✅The bulk of the work is already finished.
💡this sense needs 'of' after 'bulk'.

3. a person or thing whose great size and heavy shape are very noticeable.

3.名詞
釋義

a person or thing whose great size and heavy shape are very noticeable.

例句

The horse's dark bulk filled the stable doorway at dawn.

bulk for the visible shape of something large

From the beach, we watched the ship's bulk move through the fog.

同義詞
  • mass

    more neutral and often used for material or matter rather than a visible body

  • hulk

    suggests a very large, heavy thing, often awkward or ugly

  • body

    a broader word for physical form, especially of a person or animal

文法句型

the bulk of + large person or thing

用法筆記

Often used for something large seen as a single shape in space, such as a ship, animal, or person. Distinguish from sense 4: this sense names the large object or body itself, while sense 4 names its size.

常見錯誤

❌The mountain was very bulk in the dark.
✅The mountain's bulk stood out in the dark.
💡'bulk' is a noun here, not an adjective.

4. the fact of being large, heavy, or hard to move because of size.

4.名詞
釋義

the fact of being large, heavy, or hard to move because of size.

例句

The winter coat adds too much bulk under my school jacket.

collocation: add bulk

Because of its bulk, the drum would not fit in the taxi.

because of + bulk

同義詞
  • size

    the broad everyday word; bulk adds an idea of heaviness or awkward space

  • mass

    often sounds more scientific and focuses on physical matter

  • volume

    focuses on how much space something takes up, especially in measurement

  • heft

    stresses felt weight more than outward size

反義詞
  • compactness

    focuses on being small and taking up little space

文法句型

because of + bulk

add + bulk

用法筆記

Often follows words like 'extra', 'surprising', or 'because of'. Unlike sense 3, it refers to the amount of size or weight, not to the large thing itself.

常見錯誤

❌The sofa is too bulk to move.
✅The sofa has too much bulk to move easily.
💡use 'bulk' as a noun, or use the adjective 'bulky'.