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

There is typically a dearth of historical information about the conditions in which the vehicle went missing, and locating a sunken aircraft or a large ship in the vastness of the ocean is difficult and costly. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025

Now here’s Auburn, debating whether to retain sunken coach Hugh Freeze for a fourth season. —Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2025

The home features a walkout basement with a movie theater, spa, custom workout room and sunken golf simulator, Heffernan said. —Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025

It may be yellowed, have dark spots or sunken lesions, Kondrat says. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025

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