Skip to main content
sinking

sinking

17 2.8
A boat or object that goes below the water's surface
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/
translation icon : hundimiento
  • She's lived through two world wars, the sinking of the Titanic, 9/11, and countless other historical events.
  • sinking of the Titanic
  • sinking process
  • sinking phase

This was because the Lusitania sinking was about as chance a mishap as possible.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • There were 2,223 passengers and crew aboard at the time of the sinking; only 706 were rescued.

    Academic text (2013)
  • With the sinking of the submarine, all our hopes of getting away from caprona have disappeared.

  • You got off the sinking ship in time.

  • "So what, they all return on the anniversary of the sinking?" Eddie asked.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Neither explains what caused the sinking of the ship... and no one can prove which story is true and which is not.

  • What could have caused the simultaneous sinking of all those ships?

    Academic text (2007)
  • One such series, for example, dealt with the sinking of the Titanic.

    Academic text (1991)
  • It is seen as retaliation for the sinking of the General Belgrano, in which over 300 Argentinean sailors died.

  • The rescue operation began immediately after the ferry's sinking was reported.

  • Many lives were lost during the tragic sinking of the cruise ship last summer.

Synonyms

settling
vssinking
10 4.3

A slow sinking of things to a lower level, like a building foundation or dust on furniture

is the same downward movement but specifically under a liquid surface
going under
vssinking
7 8.1

A boat or ship sinks below the water

applies to any object moving beneath the surface, not only boats
immersion
vssinking
5 4.4

Being completely covered by a liquid like water

describes the natural act of moving below a liquid surface instead
submergence
vssinking
3 8.4

The state of being completely covered by water

describes going below the water surface without full covering
submersion
vssinking
1 6.2

Putting something completely under water or another liquid

means going below the surface and may be accidental or natural
submerging
vssinking
5.0

Something sinks until it is completely covered by water

is the general process of moving beneath the liquid surface
sinkage
vssinking
  • Specialized
7.4

How far things sink into ground or water

focuses on the act of going below the water surface rather than amount
subsiding
vssinking
  • Specialized
7.0

The ground or a surface slowly sinks to a lower level

is the process of moving beneath a liquid surface rather than land lowering

Antonyms

6 1.6

The act of staying on the surface of water without sinking

Idioms

To join a business or project that is likely to fail even though there are clear risks

Compounds

sinking ship
  • Informal
10 4.8

A project or organization that is failing and likely to collapse

sinking feeling
  • Informal
9 4.5

A sudden strong worry that something bad will happen

sinking fund
  • Specialized
1 7.2

Money set aside over time to pay back a debt or cover a large cost

A short time when you feel weak, faint, or very low

How Deep

immersion
5 4.4
sinking
17 2.8
settling
10 4.3

Surface Forms

sinking singular
sinkings plural

Morphology

sinking = sink (transparent) = sink + ing

Derived directly from the verb 'sink' with the gerund/nominalizing '-ing', giving the literal action of going below the surface.

Etymology

Sinking comes from the old English verb sink, which meant 'to go down' or 'go under'. So a sinking is the act of something going down below the surface of the water.