sank

The ship sank slowly beneath the waves.

Definition

1. Verb (past tense of ):
   • To descend below the surface of a liquid or soft substance: sank describes the action of going down into water, mud, or another substance.
   • To decline or drop to a lower level: Used for prices, voices, spirits, or physical objects moving downward.
   • To become submerged or immersed: Often used metaphorically for emotional or moral states.

Usage Examples

• Literal descent:

  • The ship sank slowly after hitting the iceberg. (The ship descended below the water's surface.)
  • He sank into the mud up to his knees. (He descended into soft ground.)

• Decline or drop:

  • Her voice sank to a whisper. (Her voice lowered in volume.)
  • Prices sank dramatically during the recession. (Prices dropped to a lower level.)

• Emotional or metaphorical:

  • His heart sank when he heard the bad news. (His spirits dropped; he felt disappointment or sadness.)
  • She sank into despair after losing her job. (She became immersed in a negative emotional state.)

Advanced Usage

• "sank without a trace": to disappear completely, often without being noticed or remembered.

  • The film sank without a trace at the box office. (The film failed and was quickly forgotten.)

• "sank into oblivion": to become forgotten or irrelevant.

  • The ancient civilization sank into oblivion over centuries. (It faded from memory.)

• "sank one's teeth into": to bite or engage deeply with something.

  • The dog sank its teeth into the bone. (The dog bit down firmly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sink (verb, present tense): to go down or cause to go down.

  • Boats can sink if they take on water. (They descend below the surface.)

• Sinking (present participle): the act of descending.

  • The sinking sun painted the sky orange. (The sun was moving downward.)

• Sunken (adjective): having sunk or been submerged.

  • The sunken ship lay on the ocean floor. (The ship that had sunk.)

Synonyms

• Descended: moved downward.
• Dropped: fell to a lower level.
• Submerged: went under a liquid surface.
• Plunged: fell suddenly and deeply.

Idioms

• "sink or swim": to succeed or fail by one's own efforts.

  • He was thrown into the job with no training — it was sink or swim. (He had to either succeed or fail alone.)

• "sink in": to become fully understood or absorbed.

  • The news took a while to sink in. (The meaning gradually became clear.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Sink into: to enter a state or condition gradually.

  • She sank into a deep sleep. (She entered a state of sleep.)

• Sink in: to become absorbed or understood.

  • The lesson didn't sink in until I practiced. (The knowledge became internalized.)

• Sink below: to descend under a surface.

  • The submarine sank below the waves. (It went under the water.)