sink

noun
UK: /sɪŋk/
US: /sɪŋk/

  1. A bowl in a kitchen or bathroom used for washing things.

    1. I washed the dishes in the sink. [ ] [ ]
    2. Please rinse your paintbrushes in the sink after you're done painting. [ ] [ ]

  2. A place where dirty or waste water is poured away.

    1. Don't pour oil down the sink it can clog the pipes. [ ] [ ]
    2. The plumber is coming to fix the sink because it's draining slowly. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

decline basin dip descend fall
sink verb

  1. To go down below the surface of water or other liquid.

    1. The boat will sink soon because it has a hole. [ ] [ ]
    2. The heavy stone began to sink rapidly into the muddy riverbed. [ ] [ ]

  2. To go down or make something go down; to become lower.

    1. The sun began to sink below the horizon, painting the sky orange. [ ] [ ]
    2. Share prices sank after the company announced lower-than-expected profits. [ ] [ ]

  3. To slowly disappear or fall.

    1. She watched her hopes sink as the opportunity disappeared. [ ] [ ]
    2. As his strength began to sink, he knew his time was short. [ ] [ ]
sink transitive-verb

  1. To go down or make something go down below the surface of water or other liquid.

    1. We need to sink this boat or we are not going anywhere. [ ] [ ]
    2. The sailors tried to sink their ship to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. [ ] [ ]

  2. To cause something to fail or be destroyed.

    1. His behavior could sink his chances of getting a promotion. [ ] [ ]
    2. A single mistake can sometimes sink an entire project, costing time and resources. [ ] [ ]
sink intransitive-verb

  1. To slope downwards.

    1. The ground appeared to sink slightly in that part of the field. [ ] [ ]
    2. Over the years, the foundations of the house have begun to sink unevenly. [ ] [ ]

  2. To diminish gradually in force or intensity.

    1. Her voice began to sink as she grew more and more tired. [ ] [ ]
    2. As the excitement wore off, his enthusiasm began to sink noticeably. [ ] [ ]
sink idiom

  1. To perform very badly.

    1. I think I will sink during my next presentation with all of this stress. [ ] [ ]
    2. The football team is going to sink if they don't improve their teamwork. [ ] [ ]
sink phrasal-verb

  1. To gradually understand or realize something.

    1. The full impact of the news began to sink in slowly. [ ] [ ]
    2. It took a while for the implications of his decision to sink in completely. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "sink" in English means: A bowl in a kitchen or bathroom used for washing things., A place where dirty or waste water is poured away..

The phonetic transcription of "sink" is /sɪŋk/ in British English and /sɪŋk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "sink": decline, basin, dip, descend, fall.

Example usage of "sink": "I washed the dishes in the sink.". More examples on the page.