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

Aside from the sunken Tail Fanning, the crew lost Roscoe, Rea's dog, during the incident. —David Chiu, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026

The semi-sunken nature of the court design encourages the stadium to blend into the gardens and greenhouses and houses a collection of tropical plants from the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia. —Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

Magnified by the sunken surroundings, the intense greenhouse conditions seem to seep on court. —Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 26 May 2026

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

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