sunken-eyed
Definition
Adjective: * Having eyes that appear deeply recessed into the face, often due to fatigue, illness, age, or extreme thinness, creating a hollow or shadowed appearance around the eye sockets.
Usage
The adjective "sunken-eyed" is used to describe a person's appearance. It directly modifies a noun (e.g., a person) and is typically placed before the noun it describes or after a linking verb like "looked" or "was." * It emphasizes a visual characteristic, often implying a cause such as exhaustion, sickness, malnutrition, or profound sadness. * It is a compound adjective formed from "sunken" (past participle of sink, meaning set or fallen below the surrounding surface) and "eyed" (having eyes of a specified kind).
Examples
- The sunken-eyed prisoner stared blankly at the wall.
- After three nights without sleep, she looked sunken-eyed and pale.
- He was a sunken-eyed old man, worn down by years of hard labor.
- The refugees, sunken-eyed from hunger and thirst, waited for aid.
Advanced Usage
- Comparative and Superlative Forms: While "more sunken-eyed" and "most sunken-eyed" are grammatically correct, the adjective is most commonly used in its base form for descriptive effect.
- Figurative Use: Can be used metaphorically to describe something that appears hollow, depleted, or lacking vitality.
- The abandoned house had a sunken-eyed look, with its dark, empty windows.
Variants and Related Words
- Hollow-eyed: A very close synonym, emphasizing the hollows under the eyes.
- Deep-set eyes: A more neutral descriptor for eyes that are naturally positioned deeper in the skull, not necessarily due to ill health.
- Gaunt: (Adjective) Describes a very thin and bony face, often accompanying a sunken-eyed appearance.
- Cadaverous: (Adjective) Resembling a corpse; extremely pale, thin, and hollow, of which "sunken-eyed" is a key characteristic.
Synonyms
- Hollow-eyed
- Deep-set (in a negative context)
- Hollow-cheeked (related, describing the cheeks)
Antonyms
- Bright-eyed
- Clear-eyed
- Fresh-faced
- Rosy-cheeked
Adjective
-
characteristic of the bony face of a cadaver
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
