Definition of “sink” - English Dictionary

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“sink” in English

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sinkverb

uk /sɪŋk/ us /sɪŋk/ sank or US also sunk, sunk

sink verb (GO DOWN BELOW)

B1 [ I or T ] to (cause something or someone to) go down below the surface or to the bottom of a liquid or soft substance:

The Titanic was a passenger ship which sank (to the bottom of the ocean) in 1912.

The legs of the garden chair sank into the soft ground.

Enemy aircraft sank two battleships.

The dog sank her teeth into (= bit) the ball and ran off with it.

See also

sunken

More examples

We all thought we were done for when the boat started to sink.
The tanker is listing badly and liable to sink at any moment.
It is hoped that the oil slick will sink to the seabed where it would be covered within a few years by sediments and eventually decompose.
It's good to sink into a hot tub at the end of a hard day's work.
We sank our teeth into the enormous cakes.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Staying afloat, capsizing & sinking

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sink verb (FALL)

B2 [ I ] to (cause something or someone to) fall or move to a lower level:

The sun glowed red as it sank slowly below the horizon.

Student numbers have sunk considerably this year.

UK informal We sank (= drank) a bottle of wine each last night.

The wounded soldier sank (= fell) to the ground.

She sank back in her chair and closed her eyes.

He sank into deep despair (= became very unhappy) when he lost his job.

› [ T ] to hit a ball into a hole or pocket, especially in golf or snooker

More examples

Unemployment figures have sunk for the second year running.
We sat on the mountain and watched the sun sink below the horizon.
The level of teenage pregnancy sank dramatically.
He sank to the ground, clutching his chest.
They sank to the floor in exhaustion.

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Winning, losing & scoring in sport

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sink verb (DIG)

› [ T ] to dig a hole in the ground, or to put something into a hole dug into the ground:

Sinking more wells is the best way of supplying the population with clean drinking water.

The first stage of building the fence is sinking the posts into the ground.

See also

sunken

sink verb (FAILURE)

› [ T ] to cause something to fail or be in trouble:

This rain could sink our plans for the barbecue.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Destroying and demolishing

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Idiom(s)

sink your differences

sink like a stone

sink or swim

sink to a whisper

sink to such a level/such depths

sink without (a) trace

Phrasal verb(s)

sink in

sink in/sink into sth

sink into sth

sink sth into sth

sinknoun [ C ]

uk /sɪŋk/ us /sɪŋk/

A2 a bowl that is attached to the wall in a kitchen or bathroom in which you wash dishes or your hands, etc.:

a bathroom/kitchen sink

More examples

We're only going on vacation for a week, but John will insist on taking everything but the kitchen sink.
You'll need a strong abrasive for cleaning this sink.
There's no need to get so het up about a few dirty dishes in the sink!
Put the plug in the sink and run some water.
The kitchen was in its original state, with a 1920s sink and stove.