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 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

The sunken hallway of Georgetown University’s Medical Dental Building, home to its anatomical donor program, is unnervingly cheerful. — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026

Want a sunken hot tub to sneak away to while the kids are in the youth club? — Gina Kramer, USA Today, 25 July 2026

Phillips confirmed that authorities had also located the sunken MV Barima itself. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 21 July 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