bulging

1 of 2

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

bulging

2 of 2

present participle of bulge entry 1

Examples of bulging in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Late Thursday night, the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection released its final report, a bulging 845-page account of a months-long effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. — Nicole Hemmer, CNN, 23 Dec. 2022

Bubbling up and around these walls are 1,062 triangular glass panes shaped to look like a bulging, misshapen geodesic dome. — Kelly Crow, WSJ, 27 Sep. 2022

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

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bulging

• divulging
• indulging