bulwark
/ˈbʊlwək/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈʊlwɚk] /ˈbʊlwɜːrk/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈʊlwɚk] /ˈbu̇l-(ˌ)wərk How to pronounce bulwark (audio) -ˌwȯrk; ˈbəl-(ˌ)wərk; sense 3 also ˈbə-ˌläk/ (ame, mw)
bulwark — noun
- bulwarksingular
- bulwarksplural
1. A person, system, or resource that gives strong protection when danger, hardship
A person, system, or resource that gives strong protection when danger, hardship, or attack is likely.
Independent courts are a bulwark against sudden political revenge.
a bulwark against + threat
Owen called his emergency fund a bulwark against job loss.
For many villagers, the clinic is a bulwark against preventable disease.
Teachers called school lunches a bulwark against child hunger.
- safeguard
broader and more practical; it can describe everyday safety measures as well as major protections
- barrier
often more physical and neutral, while bulwark suggests strong defense against a serious threat
- bastion
close in tone, but usually emphasizes a group or place defending an idea or tradition
- threat
what a bulwark is meant to keep back
用法筆記
Most often used in formal writing about public life, law, health, or finance. The common pattern is a bulwark against + threat, especially when the protection is strong and dependable.
常見錯誤
2. A thick wall or raised bank built to keep attackers away from a town, fort, or o
A thick wall or raised bank built to keep attackers away from a town, fort, or other defended place.
The soldiers repaired the bulwark before dawn as enemy boats approached.
repair / strengthen a bulwark
Grass grew over the old bulwark that once guarded the harbor town.
Visitors climbed the stone bulwark and looked across the valley.
Engineers strengthened the earthen bulwark after the first attack.
- rampart
especially a defensive bank or wall around a fort or city
- fortification
broader term for any built defense, not just one wall
用法筆記
This sense refers to an actual defensive structure, often in historical writing. It overlaps with rampart, but bulwark can suggest either stonework or a raised earth barrier.
3. A man-made barrier along the coast that stops waves from wearing land away or se
A man-made barrier along the coast that stops waves from wearing land away or sending water inland.
The concrete bulwark protected the beach during the winter storms.
coastal bulwark against waves and storms
Workers inspected the bulwark after high waves struck the coast.
A new bulwark now shields the village road from the sea.
Seaweed gathered beside the bulwark at low tide each morning.
- breakwater
usually a structure built to reduce the force of waves, especially near a harbor
- seawall
a wall built directly along the shore to hold back the sea
用法筆記
Used for coastal protection rather than military defense. Unlike sense 2, the danger comes from the sea rather than attacking people.
4. The section of a ship's side that stands above the deck and helps keep people, r
The section of a ship's side that stands above the deck and helps keep people, ropes, and spray from going overboard.
Spray flew over the bulwark as the ferry crossed rough water.
over the bulwark
João leaned against the bulwark and watched the harbor lights.
A coil of rope hung from the bulwark near the stern.
The deckhand tied the ladder to the bulwark before unloading supplies.
用法筆記
This is a nautical term. Unlike sense 2, it is part of a ship rather than a wall around a defended place.
bulwark — verb
- bulwarkpresent simple I / you / we / they
- bulwarks3rd person singular
- bulwarking-ing form
- bulwarkedpast simple
1. To make a place, group, or system safer by building strong defenses around it or
To make a place, group, or system safer by building strong defenses around it or by giving it firm protection.
The town bulwarked its harbor with stone and timber.
bulwark + place + with + material
New rules bulwarked the pension fund against reckless spending.
bulwark + institution + against + threat
Workers bulwarked the riverbank before the typhoon reached land.
The treaty bulwarked small states against invasion from larger neighbors.
- fortify
closest in literal meaning, especially when walls or barriers are added
- strengthen
broader and less formal; it does not necessarily imply defensive protection
- safeguard
often more abstract and policy-focused, with less emphasis on building defenses
- expose
to leave something without the protection it needs
文法句型
bulwark + noun + against + threat
bulwark + noun + with + material
用法筆記
This verb is highly formal and appears most often in historical, legal, or political writing. The object is usually a place, an institution, or a set of rights rather than a person.