hulk
hulk — noun
- hulksingular
- hulksplural
1. what remains of a large, broken-down vehicle or building — a hollow shell abando
what remains of a large, broken-down vehicle or building — a hollow shell abandoned because it can no longer serve its purpose
The rusting hulk of an old fishing boat lay half-buried in the sand near Dewi's village.
collocation: 'the hulk of an old [vehicle]'
After the fire, only the blackened hulk of the warehouse remained standing.
passive-like: 'remained standing' after state verb
Hamza explored the hollow hulk of a wrecked cargo ship at low tide.
The road crew finally cleared the burnt-out hulk of the truck from the highway.
Weeds and vines had swallowed the crumbling hulk of the old textile factory.
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'of': the hulk of a ship / car / building. Describes only the outer shell or frame, not anything still in working order.
常見錯誤
2. a person or thing that is very large, heavy, and hard to move or handle — often
a person or thing that is very large, heavy, and hard to move or handle — often with a slightly intimidating feel
Lukas stepped aside to let the hulk of a man squeeze through the narrow doorway.
collocation: 'the hulk of a [person]' for a large, heavy individual
Nora struggled to move the heavy hulk of the old photocopier across the office floor.
collocation: 'the heavy hulk of [object]'
The wrestler was a towering hulk, all muscle and bulk, impossible to bring down.
Takeshi shivered as the silent hulk of the guard blocked the corridor ahead.
Two workers had to lift the iron hulk of the broken boiler onto the truck.
- wisp
a very thin, slight person — the opposite in physical presence
用法筆記
Strongly collocates with 'of': the hulk of a man / the hulk of a desk. When describing a person, the word carries a negative or slightly threatening tone — it is not a neutral description of size.
常見錯誤
hulk — verb
- hulkpresent simple I / you / we / they
- hulks3rd person singular
- hulking-ing form
- hulkedpast simple
1. to stand or rise somewhere in a way that seems very large, heavy, and almost thr
to stand or rise somewhere in a way that seems very large, heavy, and almost threatening, especially when seen from below or at a distance
The abandoned power station hulked against the grey evening sky, dark and silent.
hulk + against [background] for silhouetted presence
A line of dark warships hulked on the horizon as the sun went down.
hulk + on [distant location] for looming at a distance
Aylin felt very small as the mountain hulked above the village at its foot.
The old fortress hulked over the harbour, a reminder of centuries of fighting.
An enormous container ship hulked beside the little fishing boats at the pier.
- loom
more common; used for anything that appears as a vague or threatening shape
- tower
emphasises great height; does not carry the sense of heaviness
- overshadow
implies blocking light, attention, or importance rather than physical mass
- recede
to move back or shrink from view — the opposite movement
文法句型
hulk + over/above/against/on + [location]
用法筆記
Always intransitive. Typically followed by a preposition of position: over, above, against, on, beside. The subject is usually a building, ship, mountain, or other large structure — rarely a person.