Definition Synonyms
Definition of sinking - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
submersionact of something going down below the surface
- The sinking of the ship was tragic and sudden..
2.
emotionfeeling of unease or apprehension
- She felt a sinking in her stomach.
3.
declineRare gradual decline in strength or qualityRare
- The sinking of his health was evident.
Adjective
1.
submerginggoing down below the surface
- The sinking ship was a tragic sight.
2.
hopelessfeeling of losing hope or confidence
- She had a sinking feeling about the exam results.
Images of sinking

act of something going down below the surface
Expressions with sinking
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
vessel that is going down in water
The crew abandoned the sinking ship to save their lives.
sudden dread from realizing trouble may be coming
I had a sinking feeling when I saw the missed calls.
quickly but futilely away from a failing project or situation
Employees left like rats from a sinking ship when the company went bankrupt..
leave a failing organization or situation
Many employees decided to desert a sinking ship when the company started failing.
suddenly feel worried or afraid about something bad
I got that sinking feeling when I saw the test results.
abandon a failing situation or organization
Many employees decided to leave a sinking ship.
feeling sad or disappointed about something
She read the letter with a sinking heart.
feeling sad or disappointed while doing something
She opened the letter with sinking heart.
the event when the Titanic sank in 1912
The sinking of the Titanic is a famous maritime disaster.
losing value or importance quickly
His reputation is sinking fast among his peers.
brief period of feeling weak or faint
He had a sinking spell during the meeting.
fund accumulated to meet future capital expenses
The city established a sinking fund for the new bridge project.
Origin of sinking
Old English, sincan (to sink)
Terms with sinking included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
physics
stay on the surface of a liquid without sinking
droop
state of sinking or bending downward
water
floating on water without sinking
boats
sinking below a surface or water
water
stay on the surface of water without sinking
buoyancy
stop something from sinking in water
movement
the act of something drooping or sinking downward
difficulty
become overwhelmed or burdened like a sinking ship
ships
incapable of sinking or being sunk
maritime
leave a ship in danger of sinking
water
floating on water without sinking
construction
gradual settling or sinking of a structure
geology
sinking of the Earth's surface due to natural causes
mining
gradual sinking of landforms due to human activities
lowering
sinking to a lower level
ship sinking
ship fills with water and sinks
golf
complete a hole by sinking the ball
failure
act of sinking or failing completely
geology
gradual sinking to a lower level
maritime
in danger of sinking due to excess water
construction
gradual sinking of a building or structure
maritime
die in the sinking of a ship
immersion
an occurrence of putting or sinking under water or other fluid
maritime
sinking or about to sink
Examples of sinking in a sentence
The sinking of the buoy indicated a problem. A sinking overcame him as he read the letter. There was a sinking in her heart when she heard the news. The sinking of the company's reputation was alarming. There was a noticeable sinking in the quality of service. The sinking sun painted the sky orange.
The boat's sinking was swift and silent. He felt a sinking feeling when he heard the bad news. The sinking feeling in her stomach wouldn't go away.
View all translations of sinking
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:submersion, coulant, ...
- German:Untergang, sinkend, ...
- Italian:affondamento, affondante, ...
- Spanish:hundimiento, hundido, ...
- Portuguese:afundamento, afundando, ...
- Chinese:沉没, 绝望的, ...
- Japanese:沈没, 沈む, ...
- Arabic:غَرَق, غارِق, ...
- Hebrew:שְׁקִיעָה, טוֹבֵעַ, ...
- Russian:затопление, тонущий, ...
- Ukrainian:затоплення, потопаючий, ...
- Hindi:डूबना, डूबता हुआ, ...
Definition of sink - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
kitchenbasin for washing dishes or hands
- The kitchen sink was full of dirty dishes.
2.
technologyTECH. device that absorbs energy or resourcesTECH.
- The heat sink kept the computer from overheating.
3.
geologyRare depression in land where water collectsRare
- The rainwater gathered in the sink after the storm.
4.
ecologyTECH. habitat receiving excess individualsTECH.
- The forest acted as a sink for migrating birds.
Verb
1.
waterintr. descend below the surface of a liquidintr.
- The ship began to sink rapidly.
2.
penetrationtr. push something into a surfacetr.
- He sank the nail into the wood.
3.
boatstr. cause a vessel to descend below watertr.
- They used torpedoes to sink the enemy ship.
4.
sportstr. TECH. US hit a ball into a holetr. TECH. US
- She sank the putt to win the game.
5.
ruintr. cause to fail or collapsetr.
- Poor investments sank the company..
6.
emotionintr. experience a decline in mood or spiritintr.
- Her heart sank at the bad news.
7.
soundintr. become lower in volume or pitchintr.
- His voice sank to a whisper.
8.
drinkingtr. UK drink quicklytr. UK
- He sank a pint in one gulp.
9.
constructiontr. excavate or hollow outtr.
- Workers sank a hole through the pavement..
Adjective
deprivedRare UK having low standards or resourcesRare UK
- The sink school struggled with outdated books and facilities.
Images of sink

basin for washing dishes or hands
Expressions with sink
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
move down slowly into a soft surface
She sank into the comfortable sofa.
move downward to a much lower position
The boat began to sink low in the water.
gradually become fully understood or realized
It took a moment for the news to sink in..
activity that takes a lot of time but gives little benefit
Checking email constantly is a time sink.
drink several alcoholic beverages
After work, they decided to sink a few drinks at the local bar.
gradually owe more money than before
After losing his job, he began to sink into debt.
to fall or drop quickly and heavily
The boat hit an iceberg and began to sink like a stone.
succeed or fail without help
In this job, you have to sink or swim.
include almost everything possible, often more than needed
She packed everything but the kitchen sink for the trip..
almost every possible thing included or brought
She packed everything except the kitchen sink for the trip.
behave worse than ever before, especially in a shameful way
He really did sink to new lows with that comment.
put in almost every possible thing
The report includes the kitchen sink, from charts to customer comments.
drink several beers with friends or alone
We decided to sink a few beers after work.
fall or drop very quickly and heavily
After the mistake, his confidence sank like a rock.
invest a lot of money in something risky
They sank money into the failing business.
cause one's own failure or ruin
By lying to his boss, he managed to sink his own ship.
become deeply involved in an activity
She sank her teeth into the new project at work.
reach a worse state than ever before
After the scandal, the politician sank to a new low.
reach a new low point in behavior or quality
After the scandal, he sank to new depths.
fail suddenly and completely
The new product sank without a trace after its launch.
fail to attract any attention or success
His new book sank without trace after its release.
become fully involved in something
After you sank your teeth into the redesign, you stopped checking your phone.
become forgotten or insignificant
Many early internet memes have sunk into oblivion.
gradually become forgotten or unknown
The band sank into obscurity after their hit song.
Origin of sink
Old English, sincan (to become submerged)
Examples of sink in a sentence
The sink overflowed with water. The battery acts as a sink for excess power. In the circuit, the resistor functions as a sink. The sink formed a natural pond in the field. Farmers use the sink to collect rainwater for irrigation. Wetlands can serve as a sink for pollutants.
Urban areas often lack a natural sink for excess rainwater. The stone began to sink slowly in the pond. Without warning, the canoe started to sink. She sank the spade into the soil with ease. He managed to sink the anchor deep into the riverbed. The storm sank two fishing boats. A hidden reef could sink the yacht. He managed to sink the ball from a distance. The player sank the shot with precision. The scandal could sink his career. Bad management decisions sank the project. He felt his spirits sink after the defeat. Her enthusiasm began to sink as the day wore on. The final note sank below the orchestra. Her laughter sank as the room grew quiet. She sank her drink before leaving the bar. He managed to sink the shot in record time. They needed to sink a well for water. The team decided to sink a trench for the new pipeline. The sink neighborhood lacked basic amenities. Efforts were made to improve the sink community.
View all translations of sink
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:évier, couler, ...
- German:Spülbecken, sinken, ...
- Italian:lavello, affondare, ...
- Spanish:fregadero, hundirse, ...
- Portuguese:lava-loiça, afundar, ...
- Chinese:水槽, 下沉, ...
- Japanese:シンク, 沈む, ...
- Arabic:حَوْض, غَرِقَ, ...
- Hebrew:כִּיּוֹר, לִטְבּוֹעַ, ...
- Russian:раковина, тонуть, ...
- Ukrainian:раковина, тонути, ...
- Hindi:सिंक, डूबना, ...


icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the