To sculpt means to create three-dimensional art by shaping materials like clay, stone, wood, or metal. A sculptor might sculpt a statue by carefully chiseling away marble, or sculpt a figure by adding and molding soft clay. Michelangelo spent years sculpting his famous statue of David from a single massive block of marble.

The word can also describe shaping something into a particular form more generally. An athlete might sculpt their muscles through dedicated training. A landscaper sculpts hedges into interesting shapes. Wind and water sculpt rock formations over thousands of years, carving out canyons and arches.

When you sculpt something, you're working in three dimensions, not on a flat surface like painting or drawing. You can walk around a sculpture and see it from all sides. The process often involves both adding material (like building up clay) and taking it away (like carving wood), and it requires you to imagine the finished form while you work. Many sculptors say they feel like they're discovering the shape hidden inside the material, revealing it bit by bit through patient, careful work.