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

The Chinese geophysicist, marine technologist, robot designer, and filmmaker challenged himself to locate the sunken vessel and resurface the tale of villainy and heroism behind it. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2024

The era embraced brightly colored tile, sunken bathtubs, carpeted floors, and other accoutrements that were then the cutting edge of bathroom decorating. —Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 11 Dec. 2024

But a return visit to the site in early November showed the object was a natural rock formation, rather than a sunken plane. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 Nov. 2024

Gabe Brown, 26, had fallen while walking around a sunken bathtub in the newlywed couples' resort room in Montego Bay on Sept. 25. —David Bruce, USA TODAY, 9 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sonkyn, past participle of sinken to sink

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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