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Synonyms

sunk

American  
[suhngk] / sʌŋk /

verb

  1. a simple past tense and past participle of sink.


adjective

  1. Informal.  beyond help; done for; washed up.

    If they catch you cheating, you're really sunk.

  2. Nautical.  (of a forecastle or poop) raised less than a full deck above the weather deck of a ship.

sunk British  
/ sʌŋk /

verb

  1. a past participle of sink

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. informal  with all hopes dashed; ruined

    if the police come while we're opening the safe, we'll be sunk

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • half-sunk adjective
  • unsunk adjective

Etymology

Origin of sunk

First recorded in 1925–30 sunk for def. 2

Compare meaning

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is worth revisiting how low Welsh rugby has sunk since the World Cup quarter-final defeat by Argentina in Marseille in October 2023.

From BBC

His father stayed behind in Singapore but died when the ship he was aboard was sunk.

From Los Angeles Times

On returning the following day to retrieve some belongings, she said the flood had completely swallowed the house: "It's already sunk."

From BBC

"The alarm was on, the doors were locked. My heart sunk - I felt sick," he said.

From BBC

But they haven’t sunk as low as the level of oversupply would suggest.

From Barron's