adj · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈsʌŋkən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ʌŋkən
CMU ARPABET:S AH1 NG K AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Caused, by natural or unnatural means, to be depressed (lower than the surrounding area) or submerged
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
The sunken ship lay at a depth of 100 feet
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Seeming to have fallen deeper back into the face due to tiredness, illness, or old age.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
She looked old and thin with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
past participle of sink
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, form-of, participle, past
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
having a sunken area
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
hunger gave their faces a sunken look
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: deep-set, recessed
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
36 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
потопен
(potopen)
— depressed or submerged
Bulgarian:
потънал
(potǎnal)
— depressed or submerged
Esperanto:
kava
— depressed or submerged
Finnish:
uponnut
— depressed or submerged
Finnish:
upoksissa oleva
— depressed or submerged
Georgian:
ჩაძირული
(čaʒiruli)
— depressed or submerged
German:
gesunken
— depressed or submerged
German:
versunken
— depressed or submerged
Greek:
βυθισμένος
(vythisménos)
— depressed or submerged
Hungarian:
elsüllyedt
— depressed or submerged
Hungarian:
elmerült
— depressed or submerged
Hungarian:
süllyesztett
— depressed or submerged
Hungarian:
mélyített
— depressed or submerged
Latin:
summersus
— depressed or submerged
Malayalam:
മുങ്ങിയ
(muṅṅiya)
— depressed or submerged
Māori:
mōroto
— depressed or submerged
Romanian:
scufundat
— depressed or submerged
Romanian:
afundat
— depressed or submerged
Russian:
затону́вший
(zatonúvšij)
— depressed or submerged
Russian:
зато́пленный
(zatóplennyj)
— depressed or submerged
Swedish:
nedsjunken
— depressed or submerged
Turkish:
batık
— depressed or submerged
Turkish:
batkın
— depressed or submerged
Ottoman Turkish:
باتقین
(batkın)
— depressed or submerged
Vietnamese:
bị chìm
— depressed or submerged
Welsh:
suddedig
— depressed or submerged
Welsh:
tanddwr
— depressed or submerged
Bulgarian:
хлътнал
(hlǎtnal)
— of eyes or cheeks seeming to have fallen deeper back into the face.
German:
eingefallen
— of eyes or cheeks seeming to have fallen deeper back into the face.
Hungarian:
beesett
— of eyes or cheeks seeming to have fallen deeper back into the face.
Māori:
mōroto
— of eyes or cheeks seeming to have fallen deeper back into the face.
Russian:
впалый
(vpalyj)
— of eyes or cheeks seeming to have fallen deeper back into the face.
Swedish:
insjunken
— of eyes or cheeks seeming to have fallen deeper back into the face.
Turkish:
batık
— of eyes or cheeks seeming to have fallen deeper back into the face.
Turkish:
batkın
— of eyes or cheeks seeming to have fallen deeper back into the face.
Ottoman Turkish:
باتقین
(batkın)
— of eyes or cheeks seeming to have fallen deeper back into the face.