gulf

gulf — noun

1. a wide stretch of salt water bounded by a curving coastline on three sides, with

1.nounB1
Definition

a wide stretch of salt water bounded by a curving coastline on three sides, with an opening that leads out to a larger ocean — for instance, the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of Thailand.

Example

Hurricanes that form over the Gulf of Mexico often move toward the coast.

proper noun construction: Gulf of + [place name]

Sahil's family lives near a calm gulf where small fishing boats dock every evening.

countable with modifier: a calm gulf

Common collocations
  • deep gulf
  • warm gulf waters
  • across the gulf
  • the Gulf of [place]
  • Gulf coast
  • Gulf region
Synonyms
  • bay

    smaller than a gulf, more enclosed

  • inlet

    a narrow strip of water reaching into land, usually smaller than a gulf

  • bight

    a wide, gentle curve in a coastline, less enclosed than a gulf

Grammar Patterns

the Gulf of [place name]

[adjective] gulf

Usage Note

Capitalized when part of a proper name (the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Thailand). As a common noun, 'gulf' is larger than a 'bay' but smaller than a 'sea' — though boundaries are not always precisely defined.

Common Mistakes

A small gulf near the beach was good for swimming.
A small bay near the beach was good for swimming.
'Gulf' usually refers to a very large body of water; use 'bay' or 'cove' for smaller inlets.

2. the Persian Gulf, its surrounding waters, and the countries along its coast — a

2.nounB2
Definition

the Persian Gulf, its surrounding waters, and the countries along its coast — a strategically important region often shortened to just 'the Gulf' in business and political reporting.

Example

Oil exports from the Gulf drive the economy of several nearby countries.

the Gulf as short form for the Persian Gulf region

Many workers from South Asia move to Gulf countries for better pay.

Common collocations
  • the Gulf
  • Gulf states
  • Gulf region
  • Gulf countries
  • Gulf cooperation
  • Gulf oil
  • Gulf War
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

the Gulf

the Gulf states

Gulf [noun]

Usage Note

In news and business contexts, 'the Gulf' almost always refers to the Persian Gulf region, not to a generic gulf. The term 'Gulf states' usually means the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain).

Common Mistakes

He works in a Gulf country called Dubai.
He works in Dubai, a city in a Gulf country called the UAE.
Dubai is a city, not a country.

3. a very large and deep opening or crack in the surface of the earth, similar to a

3.nounC1
Definition

a very large and deep opening or crack in the surface of the earth, similar to a chasm or abyss.

Example

The earthquake opened a wide gulf in the hillside behind the village.

Piotr peered over the edge of the gulf but could not see the bottom.

literary use with 'edge of the gulf'

Common collocations
  • deep gulf
  • wide gulf
  • edge of the gulf
  • open gulf
  • gulf in the earth
Synonyms
  • chasm

    very similar; chasm emphasises the width and depth of a crack in rock

  • abyss

    suggests a hole so deep it appears bottomless; more dramatic

  • gorge

    a narrow valley between cliffs, usually formed by a river

  • void

    emphasises emptiness rather than a physical crack

Grammar Patterns

a gulf in [the ground/surface]

[adjective] gulf

Usage Note

This sense is primarily literary or formal. In everyday conversation, 'hole', 'crack', or 'chasm' are more common. 'Gulf' here suggests a hole that is both very wide and very deep, often with dramatic or dangerous connotations.

4. a very large difference or division between two people, groups, or sets of ideas

4.nounB2
Definition

a very large difference or division between two people, groups, or sets of ideas that makes understanding or agreement difficult — for example, a gulf between rich and poor, or a gulf in political opinion.

Example

A wide gulf separates the rich neighbourhoods from the poorer areas nearby.

collocation: wide gulf

The cultural gulf between older and younger workers became hard to ignore.

Common collocations
  • wide gulf
  • vast gulf
  • growing gulf
  • cultural gulf
  • bridge the gulf
  • narrow the gulf
  • widen the gulf
  • gulf between
Synonyms
  • gap

    less dramatic; can be small or large; more common in everyday speech

  • chasm

    similar intensity but more literary; suggests the division is hard or impossible to bridge

  • divide

    common in political/social contexts; tends to imply conflict

  • rift

    suggests a breakdown of a relationship that was once close

Antonyms
  • bridge

    something that connects or unites; the act of closing a gulf

Grammar Patterns

gulf between [X] and [Y]

wide gulf in [area]

bridge/narrow/widen the gulf

Usage Note

Unlike 'gap' (which can be small or large), 'gulf' always implies a very large, difficult-to-cross division. Frequently used with verbs like 'bridge', 'narrow', 'widen', 'close'.

Common Mistakes

There is a small gulf in their opinions.
There is a small gap in their opinions.
'Gulf' suggests a very large difference; use 'gap' or 'difference' for small ones.
Idioms

bridge the gap/gulf/divide (between A and B)

idiom

To make the differences between two things or groups smaller or disappear.

The new program helps bridge the gulf between rich and poor students.

Can we bridge the divide between science and art in our school?

gulf — verb

Word family

  • engulf
    verbC1
  • gulfing
    adjectiveC2
  • gulfed
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/4

All four words describe a separation between people or groups, but they differ in size, tone, and implication. 'Gap' is the most neutral and versatile; it can refer to anything from a small misunderstanding to a moderate difference ('the age gap between siblings'). 'Gulf' is far stronger — it always implies a very large, deep division that is hard to cross ('a gulf between the rich and the poor'). 'Chasm' is equally dramatic but feels more literary; it suggests a division that may be permanent or impossible to bridge ('a chasm between generations'). 'Divide' is common in political and social contexts and often implies active disagreement or conflict ('the urban–rural divide'). 'Rift' specifically suggests a broken relationship — something that was once united but has split ('a rift within the party'). Use 'gap' for neutral differences, 'gulf' or 'chasm' for dramatic ones, 'divide' for social or political splits, and 'rift' for personal or organisational breakups.

gap ↗chasmdivide ↗rift ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • gulf region
  • gulf state
  • gulf water
  • gulf stream

Adverbs

Phrases

  • bridge the gulf
  • narrow the gulf
  • widen the gulf
  • cross the gulf

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinItalianFrenchEnglish

The word 'gulf' entered English in the 1300s from Old French 'golf', which came from Italian 'golfo', and ultimately from Late Latin 'colfos', borrowed from Greek 'kolpos' meaning 'bosom' or 'fold of a garment'. The ancient Greeks imagined a bay or gulf as the sea's bosom — a curved, embracing shape. By the 1500s, 'gulf' had taken on the figurative meaning of 'a deep, wide gap', extending the physical chasm sense to divisions between people and ideas. The verb form 'to gulf' (meaning 'to swallow up') appeared around the same time, inspired by the image of a deep hole consuming things that fall into it, though it has since been largely replaced by 'engulf'.