sunk
Americanverb
adjective
-
Informal. beyond help; done for; washed up.
If they catch you cheating, you're really sunk.
-
Nautical. (of a forecastle or poop) raised less than a full deck above the weather deck of a ship.
verb
adjective
Other Word Forms
- half-sunk adjective
- unsunk adjective
Etymology
Origin of sunk
First recorded in 1925–30 sunk for def. 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The development Wednesday paves the way for new revenue streams, which can help the company redirect its GLP-1 capacity toward other peptides and stem some of its current sunk costs.
From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026
Yet only last spring, the PCE inflation rate had sunk to a post-pandemic low of 2.3%.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Navtex messages, a form of automated, short-range maritime-safety text broadcasts transmitted directly to ships, communicate which vessels have been attacked or sunk, according to several seafarers and Navtex messages seen by the Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
One of the most famous incidents involved the whaleship Essex, a 27m sailing vessel that was reportedly sunk by two direct strikes from a large bull sperm whale near the Galapagos in 1820.
From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026
Contrary to the usual course of things, Mr. Elton’s wanting to pay his addresses to her had sunk him in her opinion.
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
