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Showing results for "sunk"
  • past participle of sink.
  • past tense form of sink.
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

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.

See Examples For:

I was in my living room, sunk into the chaise lounge I retreat to, comfortable in a way that now embarrasses me, when I heard my mother’s voice in the other room calling my father.

From Salon Aug. 5, 2026

IBM has also sunk $5 billion into a project called Lightwell, which uses AI to find and help fix vulnerabilities in open-source software.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 23, 2026

A ferry carrying 116 passengers has sunk off the coast of Guyana with 53 people so far rescued, local authorities have said.

From BBC Jul. 19, 2026

Its EV sales sunk 40.7% compared to the year-ago quarter, while hybrid-vehicle sales fell 20%.

From MarketWatch Jul. 2, 2026

Mike sighs like he’s the one been sunk.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

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