Standard Lemma guide

sculpt

noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /skʌlpt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S K AH1 L P T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A modification that can be applied to an object, like a texture, but changes the object's shape rather than its appearance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computer-graphics, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To form by sculpture.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • They sculpted a statue out of clay.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To work as a sculptor.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • What do you do? -I used to box, but now I sculpt.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To carve out gradually.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Landforms sculpted by the wind.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

shape (a material like stone or wood) by whittling away at it

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She is sculpting the block of marble into an image of her husband

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sculpture, grave

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: carve

6

verb

Meaning 6

create by shaping stone or wood or any other hard material

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • sculpt a swan out of a block of ice

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sculpture

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: shape, form, work, mold, mould, forge

History

Etymology

From French sculpter, from Latin sculpō (“to cut out, carve in stone”).

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: քանդակել (kʻandakel) — be a sculptor
  • Bulgarian: вая (vaja) — be a sculptor
  • Bulgarian: извайвам (izvajvam) — be a sculptor
  • Catalan: esculpir — be a sculptor
  • Esperanto: skulpti — be a sculptor
  • French: sculpter — be a sculptor
  • German: bildhauerisch gestalten — be a sculptor
  • German: bildhauerisch tätig sein — be a sculptor
  • German: formen — be a sculptor
  • German: meißeln — be a sculptor
  • Hungarian: szobrászkodni — be a sculptor
  • Latin: sculpō — be a sculptor
  • Māori: whakairo — be a sculptor
  • Norman: stchulpter — be a sculptor
  • Polish: rzeźbić — be a sculptor
  • Polish: wyrzeźbić — be a sculptor
  • Portuguese: esculpir — be a sculptor
  • Russian: ваять (vajatʹ) — be a sculptor
  • Russian: лепить (lepitʹ) — be a sculptor
  • Spanish: esculpir — be a sculptor
  • Swedish: skulptera — be a sculptor
  • Turkish: oymak — be a sculptor
  • Turkish: yontmak — be a sculptor