sunken
Americanadjective
-
having sunk or been sunk beneath the surface; submerged.
-
having settled to a lower level, as walls.
-
situated or lying on a lower level.
a sunken living room.
-
hollow; depressed.
sunken cheeks.
verb
verb
adjective
-
unhealthily hollow
sunken cheeks
-
situated at a lower level than the surrounding or usual one
-
situated under water; submerged
-
depressed; low
sunken spirits
Other Word Forms
- half-sunken adjective
- unsunken adjective
Etymology
Origin of sunken
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, past participle of sinken to sink
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her eyes were no longer blank, but sunken with exhaustion.
From Literature
From that moment on, the sunken warship became Mr. Dooley’s lodestar, even as he “became ever more cynical” about the Cuban revolution.
They think it could be from a stone age society whose disappearance under rising seas was the origin of a local sunken city myth.
From BBC
With implausibly identical language, they testified that they had heard her speak of sunken Allied ships after a naval battle in October 1944:
From Los Angeles Times
His face is sunken, but his deep blue eyes glint with dark malice.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
