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 low-slung, stone-and-concrete architecture is built to disappear into the cliff, with sunken suites and planted roofs that blend into the terrain. — Monica Mendal, Vogue, 10 Aug. 2026

The Carabinieri verified that the sunken vessel dated back to between the second and first centuries BC. — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

New York City is scaling the same concept through its cloudburst hubs in Corona, Kissena Park, Parkchester and East New York, where sunken basketball courts and rain gardens are built to fill during a downpour and drain once the sewers catch up. — Ravi S. Bhalla, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026

In 2024, a trove of sunken Nazi ships, still decked out with explosives, emerged in the Danube following a blistering summer drought. — CBS News, 4 Aug. 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