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
• dented
• depressed
• dished
• hollow
• indented
• recessed

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

Photo : Urban Aisle for Sotheby's International Realty A sunken seating spot is tucked off to one side of the yard. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2025

Aust showed me a sepia portrait of Hiller, who looked out with sunken eyes, a middle-aged man who had already lived through one world war. —Malcolm Hillgartner Tanya Pérez Lance Neal, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Parked outside of the event center was an airboat used for sunken boat and snowmobile recovery, a service offered by the Bruce family and BruceSki’s Marine Construction of McHenry. —Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2025

Photo : Nils Timm The pool is flanked by a sunken living room with a fire pit. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 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