- sink */*/
- I UK [sɪŋk] / US
verb
Word forms "sink":
present tense I/you/we/they sink he/she/it sinks present participle sinking past tense sank UK [sæŋk] / US past participle sunk UK [sʌŋk] / US1) [intransitive] to disappear below the surface of the waterThe ship sank off the coast of Newfoundland during a storm.
Do you think the cork will float or sink?
a) [transitive] to make something, especially a boat, disappear below the surface of the waterThe enemy sank three ships last night.
b) [intransitive] to go below the surface of a soft substancesink into:Our feet sank into the mud as we walked.
2) [intransitive] to move to a lower levelThe water level in the lake had sunk by several feet.
The porch on the old house was beginning to sink.
3) [intransitive] to fall, sit, or lie downsink to:sink to your knees:The wounded deer sank to the ground.
sink into:He sank to his knees and begged for forgiveness.
When I got home, all I wanted to do was sink into a hot bath.
4) [intransitive] to become worsesinking fast:sink into crisis/chaos:The patient is sinking fast and may not last through the night.
sink into despair:Without a stable central government, the country is sinking into crisis.
As the search went on, Simon began to sink into despair.
a) if your spirits sink, you become sadAfter reading the letter, my spirits sank even further.
b) if your heart sinks, you lose hopeHer heart sank when she heard the result.
5) [intransitive] when the sun sinks, it gets lower in the sky until it disappearsThe sun was sinking in the west.
6) [intransitive] to go down in value or amountsink to:The dollar sank even lower yesterday on world markets.
Agricultural production had sunk to its lowest level in years.
7) [intransitive] to become quietTheir voices sank to a whisper.
8) [intransitive] to do something wrongsink to (doing) something:sink so low (as to):How could you sink to stealing money from your own mother?
I never thought he would sink so low as to lie to me about it.
9) [transitive] to push something sharp into something solidThe cat sank its claws into my leg.
10) [transitive] to invest money in something because you hope you will make more moneyWe've sunk several thousand dollars into the project so far.
11) [transitive] in games such as golf or pool, to put a ball into a holeHe only has to sink the pink ball to win the game.
12) [transitive] British informal to drink alcoholic drinks•sink a mine/well/hole etc
— to dig a deep hole in the groundDrilling companies are beginning to sink exploratory wells in the area.
- be sunkPhrasal verbs:- sink in
II UK [sɪŋk] / US noun [countable]
Word forms "sink":
singular sink plural sinksa large open container for water, usually fixed to a wall and connected to pipes that bring the water and carry it awaya kitchen/bathroom sink
Just put the dirty dishes in the sink and I'll wash them later.
English dictionary. 2014.
