sunken

adjective

sunk·​en ˈsəŋ-kən 

1

: submerged

especially : lying at the bottom of a body of water

2

a

: hollow, recessed

sunken cheeks

b

: lying in a depression

a sunken garden

c

: settled below the normal level

d

: constructed below the normal floor level

a sunken living room

Synonyms of sunken

• concave
• hollow
• depressed

Examples of sunken in a Sentence

Her eyes were sunken and lifeless.

our convalescing guest's sunken cheeks soon filled out on a diet of my mother's cooking

Recent Examples on the Web

The park recommends a few diving locations, including Big Wall/Small Wall, Jenny’s Drift, and Junk, a sunken boat sitting at 60 feet underwater. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026

Each room features a private sunken patio. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 May 2026

Eddies downstream from peninsulas, brush tops, sunken trees, deep holes, and other current breaks are ideal. —John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026

The sunken battleship entombs more than 900 sailors and Marines at Pearl Harbor. —Jim Mustian, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sonkyn, past participle of sinken to sink

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sunken

• drunken
• shrunken

Kids Definition

sunken

adjective

sunk·​en ˈsəŋ-kən 

1

: being submerged

especially : lying at the bottom of a body of water

sunken ships

2

: fallen in : hollow

sunken cheeks

3

a

: lying in a depression

a sunken garden

b

: constructed below the normal floor level

a sunken living room