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A Writer's Dictionary:

sinking Definition


Dictionary Home » Words Starting with S » sinker ... six and half a dozen » sinking


sink
verb sank (past tense), sunk, sunk (past participle), sinking (present participle)
    tr & intr
    1. To fall or cause to fall and remain below the surface of water, either partially or completely.
      Thesaurus: descend, submerge, immerse, drown, penetrate; Antonym: float, rise.
    intr
    2. To collapse downwardly or inwardly; to fall because of a collapsing base or foundation; to subside.
    intr
    3. To be or become inwardly withdrawn or dejected.
      Example: My heart sank at the news
    4. To embed.
      Example: They sank the pole into the ground
    5. To pass steadily (and often dangerously) into a worse level or state.
      Example: He sank into depression after her death
    6. To slope away or dip.
    7. To diminish or decline.
      Example: My opinion of him sank after that incident
      Thesaurus: decrease, lessen, diminish, wane, decline, deteriorate, degenerate, lapse; Antonym: increase, improve.
    8. To invest (money) heavily.
      Example: We sank a lot of money into this project
    9. To pay (a debt).
    10. colloq
      To ruin the plans of someone; to ruin (plans).
      Example: We are sunk
    11. colloq
      To drink (especially alcohol) usually quickly.
      Example: We sank four beers within the hour
    intr
    12. Said of the Sun or Moon: to disappear slowly below the horizon.
    13. colloq
      To send (a ball) into a pocket in snooker, billiards, etc and into the hole in golf.
    14. To excavate (a well, shaft, etc).
    15. To let in or insert.
      Example: screws sunk into the wall
    16. To abandon or abolish.
      Example: I'll sink the whole organization if I have to
    17. To damn or ruin (especially in imprecation).
noun
    1. A basin, wall-mounted or in a sink unit, with built-in water supply and drainage, for washing dishes, etc.
      Thesaurus: basin, washbasin, tub, pan, bowl.
    2. A place of immorality, vice and corruption.
    3. A cesspool.
    4. A depression in a surface.
    5. An area without any surface drainage.
    6. A depression in the ground where water, etc collects.
    7. physics.
      A method, natural or artificial, by which heat, fluid, etc is absorbed or discharged.
Etymology: Anglo-Saxon sincan.

Phrasal Verb: sink in
    To be fully understood or realized.
      Example: The bad news took a few days to sink in
    To penetrate or be absorbed.
      Example: Wait for the ink to sink in first


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