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

• 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

This fungal disease appears as gray blotches on the bark, eventually developing into sunken cankers. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025

Burnett’s stage was designed so that the audience was seated below the eye level of the performers, in a sunken pit, rather than above them, on risers. —Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025

Outdoor spaces are equally primed for relaxation; a sunken outdoor kitchen is accompanied by space for alfresco dining, while the infinity-edge pool cascades down into a waterfall, and a spa is tucked away among the jungle-like landscaping. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025

The five people onboard were unharmed and the sunken sailboat was taken to the harbor of Oeiras, the report said. —Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 17 Sep. 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