bulging
adjective
bulg·ing ˈbəl-jiŋ 
also ˈbu̇l-
1
: swelling or thrusting out from a surrounding or adjacent surface : protuberant
bulging eyes
bulging muscles
2
: swollen with contents
bulging pockets
a bulging wallet
There were cardboard boxes piled up on the curb along with four bulging black plastic bags.
Sue Grafton
Sue Grafton
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Belle broke into the most famous flex in Cleveland history, showing a bulging bicep to the Red Sox dugout. Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 10 Sep. 2022 Particularly, the bulging transition from the more upright trapezoidal lower section of the grille to the hood throws us off. Mark Takahashi, Car and Driver, 9 Sep. 2022 And the big, bulging, muscles that let Hulk SMASH so effectively aren't the same as carrying a lot of excess fat. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2021 Indian streamer ALTBalaji has revealed a focus on the burgeoning Indian youth market and a bulging slate. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Sep. 2021 Meanwhile, the green frogs are very interested in what is going on right in front of their little bulging eyes. Cori Brown, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 11 July 2021 Hayes’ former boyfriend, Jimmy Jackson, then 72, was seen in surveillance video leaving Hayes’ apartment with a bulging suitcase and dragging it through the lobby to a dumpster outside. Darcel Rockett, chicagotribune.com, 23 June 2021 Collecting every bit of data makes for a bulging warehouse. Christian Ofori-boateng, Forbes, 5 May 2021 Fisher isn’t concerned with trying to keep everyone happy, a task next to impossible anyway in the era of the bulging transfer portal. Brent Zwerneman, ExpressNews.com, 1 Dec. 2020 See More
Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 10 Sep. 2022 Particularly, the bulging transition from the more upright trapezoidal lower section of the grille to the hood throws us off. Mark Takahashi, Car and Driver, 9 Sep. 2022 And the big, bulging, muscles that let Hulk SMASH so effectively aren't the same as carrying a lot of excess fat. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2021 Indian streamer ALTBalaji has revealed a focus on the burgeoning Indian youth market and a bulging slate. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Sep. 2021 Meanwhile, the green frogs are very interested in what is going on right in front of their little bulging eyes. Cori Brown, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 11 July 2021 Hayes’ former boyfriend, Jimmy Jackson, then 72, was seen in surveillance video leaving Hayes’ apartment with a bulging suitcase and dragging it through the lobby to a dumpster outside. Darcel Rockett, chicagotribune.com, 23 June 2021 Collecting every bit of data makes for a bulging warehouse. Christian Ofori-boateng, Forbes, 5 May 2021 Fisher isn’t concerned with trying to keep everyone happy, a task next to impossible anyway in the era of the bulging transfer portal. Brent Zwerneman, ExpressNews.com, 1 Dec. 2020 See More Word History
First Known Use
1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1
bulging 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in swollen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- swollen
- protuberant
- distended
- dilated
- turgid
- puffed
- blown
- overinflated
- bloated
- tumescent
- varicose
- ballooned
- tumid
- varicosed
- expanded
- ballooning
- blown up
- ventricose
- dilating
- turgescent
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- collapsed
- deflated
- detumescent
2
as in bursting
Synonyms & Similar Words
- bursting
- brimming
- filled
- crammed
- stuffed
- jammed
- packed
- saturated
- crowded
- loaded
- teeming
- overflowing
- chockful
- fat
- chock-full
- swarming
- full
- overstuffed
- awash
- overfilled
- thronging
- jam-packed
- abundant
- rife
- clogged
- overloaded
- replete
- fraught
- thick
- overcrowded
- abounding
- congested
- overfull
- flush
- overladen
- surfeited
- lousy
- buzzing
- humming
- bustling
- animated
- busy
- astir
- lively
- alive
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- empty
- blank
- devoid
- bare
- void
- barren
- vacant
- stark
- depleted
- drained
- insufficient
- incomplete
- short
- deficient
- exhausted
bulging
2 of 2verb
1
as in protruding
to extend outward beyond a usual point the sides of the returning camper's suitcase bulged with a month's worth of dirty laundry Synonyms & Similar Words
- protruding
- poking
- jutting
- swelling
- overhanging
- ballooning
- billowing
- pouching
- beetling
- projecting
- bellying
- pouting
- pooching
- standing out
- bunching
- sticking out
- bagging
- distending
- inflating
- stretching
- lengthening
- starting
- extending
- mushrooming
- doming
- dilating
- expanding
- elongating
- snowballing
- blowing up
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- shrinking
- contracting
- compressing
- condensing
- constricting
2
as in brimming
to be copiously supplied this guidebook to San Francisco positively bulges with useful information Synonyms & Similar Words
- bursting
- brimming
- buzzing
- teeming
- humming
- overflowing
- bristling
- swarming
- bustling
- pullulating
- abounding
- crawling
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- lacking
- wanting
- needing