# hulk

/ˈhəɫk/ (US) · /hˈʌlk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hulk
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a large person

noun · CEFR B2

a very large, heavy, and sometimes clumsy person.

For teachers: a person of massive size and strength, often implying a degree of clumsiness or an imposing physical presence.

- The man was a great hulk of a guy who had to duck to get through the door.
- Standing nearly seven feet tall, the silent hulk of a bodyguard loomed behind the diplomat throughout the entire press conference.

### 2. a ship's shell

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the body of an old ship that can still float but is no longer used for sailing.

For teachers: the hull of an abandoned or decommissioned ship, often stripped of its engines and rigging and used for storage or housing.

- The rusted hulk of an old fishing boat sat rotting in the harbour.
- The navy converted the decommissioned frigate into a floating hulk to serve as a temporary barracks for the shipyard workers.

### 3. a large structure

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

the large, empty frame of a building or machine that has been destroyed or abandoned.

For teachers: the remains of a large, broken-down, or abandoned object or structure.

- The burnt-out hulk of the factory stood as a reminder of the fire.
- The charred hulk of the airliner lay in the field, surrounded by investigators searching for the flight data recorder.

### 4. to loom

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary

to appear as a large, heavy, and often scary shape.

For teachers: to appear or loom as a massive, often threatening or imposing bulk.

- The dark mountains hulked over the tiny village in the valley.
- The ruins of the cathedral hulked against the evening sky, casting long, jagged shadows across the town square.

### 5. to move clumsily

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary

to move in a heavy or clumsy way because of your size.

For teachers: to move in a heavy, ponderous, or awkward manner, typically due to great physical bulk.

- The giant hulked across the room, making the floorboards creak with every step.
- He hulked through the crowded market, his broad shoulders accidentally bumping into several smaller pedestrians.

## Examples

- The rusted hulk of the ship sat in the harbor.
- After the fire, the building was nothing more than a blackened hulk of twisted metal and broken glass.
- The abandoned tanker remained a massive, rusting hulk on the shoreline, serving as a grim reminder of the environmental disaster that had occurred decades earlier.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.