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

In that episode, a terrifying face with sunken red eyes, balanced atop an improbably long neck, wound its way into his room. — Rj MacKenzie, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026

The lap pool shares the roof with a sunken lounge, barbecue area, covered dining space and bathroom. — New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026

Take your drink to one of the sunken couches next to the fireplace, or head outside to the courtyard to mingle and relax under the open sky. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026

Beside it, a triple slider reveals an indoor-outdoor game room with sunken chili-pepper-red velvet seating, a realistic Ben & Aja Blanc Moon Light recessed into the ceiling, and Sutherland’s must-have dry-erase board. — Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 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