sink

sink

verb

Definition of SINK

1

to become worse or of less value <his fortunes have steadily sunk since the breakup of his marriage>

Synonyms atrophy, crumble, decay, decline, degenerate, descend, devolve, ebb, regress, retrograde, rot, sink, worsen

Related Words abate, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, recede, wane; break down, corrupt, decompose, degrade, dilapidate, disintegrate, molder, putrefy; sour, spoil; lessen, lower, reduce; debilitate, undermine; droop, fail, fall, flag, lag, languish, run down, sag, slip, waste (away), weaken, wilt

Near Antonyms better, upgrade; enhance, enrich, fortify, heighten, intensify, strengthen; advance, develop, march, proceed, progress

Antonyms ameliorate, improve, meliorate

2

to go to a lower level especially abruptly <I had just bought a bundle of shares of the stock when its price sank like a rock>

Synonyms crash, crater, decline, descend, dip, dive, fall, lower, nose-dive, plummet, plunge, sink, skid, tumble

Related Words abate, decrease, de-escalate, die (down), diminish, droop, dwindle, ebb, lessen, let up, moderate, subside, taper off, wane; recede, retreat

Near Antonyms accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon (also bourgeon), enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mushroom, pick up, snowball, swell, wax

Antonyms arise, ascend, lift, mount, rise, soar, spike, up

3

to refrain from openly showing or uttering <sinks his pride and makes the first step towards a reconciliation>

Synonyms choke (back), hold back, pocket, repress, sink, smother, stifle, strangle, submerge, swallow

Related Words control, govern, manage; bridle, check, curb, quash, quell; bottle up, contain; muffle, squelch

Near Antonyms express, loose, release, take out, unleash, vent

4

to cease to be visible <that evening we sat on the beach, dreamily watching the sun sink beneath the horizon>

Synonyms dematerialize, dissolve, evanesce, evaporate, fade, flee, fly, go (away), melt, sink, vanish

Related Words blank (out), clear, die (away or down or out), disperse, dissipate, dissolve, dry up; blur, dim

Near Antonyms arrive, break out, come out, emerge, issue, loom, show up

Antonyms appear, materialize

5

to diminish the price or value of <the slightest nick will sink the price of a piece of Tiffany glass>

Synonyms attenuate, break, cheapen, depress, devaluate, devalue, downgrade, lower, mark down, reduce, sink, write down, write off

Related Words debase, demonetize; underestimate, underprice, underrate, undervalue; abridge, compress, contract, de-escalate, deflate, downsize, dwindle, lessen, moderate, shrink

Near Antonyms bloat, blow up, inflate; overestimate, overprice, overrate, overvalue; add, aggrandize, amplify, augment, balloon, boost, compound, dilate, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, heighten, increase, maximize, multiply, raise, swell, up

Antonyms appreciate, enhance, mark up, upgrade

6

to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes <the revelation that he has been embezzling for years definitely sinks him in my opinion>

Synonyms abase, chasten, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, humiliate, lower, shame, sink, smirch, take down

Related Words abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle; belittle, castigate, criticize, cry down, decry, depreciate, detract, diminish, discount, disparage, minimize, put down, ridicule, write off; bad-mouth, defame, defile, libel, malign, slander; affront, insult; censure, condemn, damn, denounce, execrate, reprehend, reprobate

Near Antonyms acclaim, applaud, boast, celebrate, cheer, cite, commend, compliment, congratulate, decorate, eulogize, extol (also extoll), fete (or f{ecirc}te), hail, honor, laud, praise, salute, tout; acknowledge, recognize; highlight, play up, spotlight; dignify, ennoble, enshrine, ensky, enthrone, glorify, magnify; advance, boost, lift, promote, raise, upgrade, uplift; idealize, romanticize

Antonyms aggrandize, canonize, deify, elevate, exalt

7

to lead or extend downward <the road sinks abruptly after that curve>

Synonyms decline, dip, drop, fall, plunge, sink

Related Words angle, cant, cock, heel, incline, lean, list, recline, slant, slope, tilt, tip

Near Antonyms even, flatten, level, plane, smooth, straighten

Antonyms arise, ascend, climb, mount, rise, uprise, upsweep, upturn

8

to lose bodily strength or vigor <the old woman only sunk further after she was moved to the nursing home>

Synonyms decay, droop, emaciate, fade, fail, flag, go, lag, languish, sag, sink, waste (away), wilt, wither

Related Words break down, wear out; yield; degenerate, deteriorate, rot, run down

Near Antonyms convalesce, rally, rebound, recover, recuperate; gain