bulky
bulky — adjective
- bulkypositive
- bulkiercomparative
- bulkiestsuperlative
1. Describes an object that is large and awkward to lift, move, or carry because of
Describes an object that is large and awkward to lift, move, or carry because of its size or shape.
Maeve struggled to lift the bulky box of books onto the top shelf.
bulky + box (object that is awkwardly large)
The removal team refused to carry the bulky old sofa down three flights of stairs.
bulky + furniture item, difficult to carry
Renata packed her bulky camping gear into the back of the van and closed the door with effort.
The parcel was too bulky to fit through the letterbox, so the courier left a note instead.
David bought a bulky electronic keyboard that took up half of his study desk.
- cumbersome
Emphasises how awkward and heavy an object is to handle, especially when moving it
- oversized
Focuses on the object being larger than the usual or expected size, not necessarily heavy
- unwieldy
Highlights difficulty in controlling or manoeuvring due to size or shape
文法句型
bulky + noun
be + bulky
用法筆記
Commonly used with nouns for furniture, equipment, luggage, and packages. The pattern 'too bulky to + infinitive' is frequent: 'too bulky to carry', 'too bulky to fit'.
常見錯誤
2. Having a large, heavy, or thick body build — used to describe someone who takes
Having a large, heavy, or thick body build — used to describe someone who takes up a lot of space because of their physical size, often suggesting strength or limited agility.
The bulky security guard stood in the doorway and blocked everyone's view of the stage.
bulky + role/person (physical build)
Hana's bulky frame barely fit into the narrow cinema seat, so she moved to an aisle row.
Walid was the most bulky player on the rugby team, with broad shoulders and thick arms.
The bulky figure in the heavy jacket turned out to be Aunt Layla wearing three layers of clothing.
文法句型
bulky + noun
be + bulky
用法筆記
Can be neutral or slightly negative. It focuses on physical size without necessarily implying fitness. Avoid using 'bulky' as a direct synonym for 'fat' — it also suggests a large, solid build rather than just excess body weight.
常見錯誤
3. Made of thick, heavy, or heavily layered material that creates extra volume when
Made of thick, heavy, or heavily layered material that creates extra volume when worn — typically used for winter clothing, workwear, or protective gear.
Quan wore a bulky winter coat over his uniform during the morning patrol.
bulky + winter coat (outerwear)
Chiara took off her bulky sweater after the train's heating finally came on.
The firefighters' bulky protective suits made it hard for them to move quickly through the burning building.
Tara packed three bulky jumpers for the weekend trip to the mountains, leaving little room for anything else.
- thin
Describes light, fine fabric that does not add extra volume
- lightweight
Describes clothing made from light material, easy to pack and wear
文法句型
bulky + clothing noun
用法筆記
Most common for winter garments (coats, sweaters, jackets) and protective clothing. Unlike sense 1, the bulkiness here is a feature of the material itself, not necessarily a problem — some bulky clothes are deliberately warm.