sinking
/'siɳkiɳ/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A slow or gradual fall, descent, or decline: The act or process of moving downward, often through a liquid, or decreasing in level, value, or strength.
- A feeling of uneasiness, apprehension, or dread: A specific emotional sensation often described as a physical feeling in the stomach or chest.
- The event of a vessel going under the surface of water: The specific act or instance of a ship or boat submerging.
Usage and Examples
- Noun (Physical Descent/Decline):
- The slow sinking of the sun below the horizon was beautiful.
- Economists are concerned about the sinking of the currency's value.
- Noun (Emotional Feeling):
- She felt a sudden sinking in her stomach when she heard the bad news.
- With a sinking heart, he opened the envelope.
- Noun (Maritime Event):
- The sinking of the Titanic is a famous historical disaster.
- The investigation focused on the cause of the ship's sinking.
Advanced Usage
- "a sinking feeling": A strong idiom describing a sudden sensation of dread or disappointment.
- I had a sinking feeling that I had forgotten my passport at home.
- "sinking fund": A financial term for a fund established to repay a debt or for depreciation.
- The company set up a sinking fund to retire its bonds early.
Variants and Related Words
- Sink (verb): To descend or cause to descend below a surface; to decline.
- The stone will sink in water.
- His spirits began to sink.
- Sunk (adjective/verb past participle): Having descended; beyond help.
- The sunk cost cannot be recovered.
- Sinkable (adjective): Capable of being sunk.
- The model boat was sinkable.
Synonyms
- Descent: The act of moving downward.
- Decline: A gradual and continuous loss of strength, value, or quality.
- Subsidence: The gradual caving in or sinking of an area of land.
- Dread: A feeling of great fear or apprehension.
Related Phrasal Verbs (from the root verb 'sink')
- Sink in: To become fully understood or comprehended.
- The news took a moment to sink in.
- Sink into: To gradually enter a state (often negative).
- He sank into a deep depression.
Related Idioms
- Like a sinking ship: Referring to a failing enterprise that people are abandoning.
- After the scandal, the company was like a sinking ship.
- Sinking spell: A period of decline or failing health.
- The patient had a sinking spell overnight.
Noun
- a feeling caused by uneasiness or apprehension
- with a sinking heart
- a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach
- a slow fall or decline (as for lack of strength)
- after several hours of sinking an unexpected rally rescued the market
- he could not control the sinking of his legs
- a descent as through liquid (especially through water)
- they still talk about the sinking of the Titanic