sinking: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to formal
Quick answer
What does “sinking” mean?
The process of moving downward through water or another liquid.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The process of moving downward through water or another liquid; the act of becoming submerged.
A feeling of despair, dread, or emotional decline; a gradual decrease or deterioration in quality, value, or condition.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Spelling of related words may differ (e.g., 'sinking' vs. 'sink' base form is same).
Connotations
Similar in both varieties. 'Sinking feeling' is equally common.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both corpora.
Grammar
How to Use “sinking” in a Sentence
[Subject] + be + sinking + [Prepositional Phrase: in/into/through][Subject] + experience + a sinking + [Noun: feeling/sensation]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sinking” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The boat is sinking in the harbour.
- My heart sank upon hearing the news.
American English
- The ship is sinking fast off the coast.
- She felt her spirits sinking as the day wore on.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to declining markets, failing companies, or dedicated funds for debt repayment.
Academic
Used in geography (land sinking), economics (sinking currencies), or literature (metaphorical despair).
Everyday
Common for describing bad feelings, failing objects, or literal submersion.
Technical
In engineering: 'sinking fund' or 'sinking curve'; in maritime: 'sinking speed'.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sinking”
- Using 'sinking' for 'drowned' (The boat has sunk, not *has sinking).
- Confusing 'sinking' (process) with 'sunken' (adjective: a sunken ship).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily the present participle/gerund of the verb 'sink'. It functions verbally ('The ship is sinking') or as a noun ('The sinking of the Titanic').
'Sinking' refers to the movement downward through a liquid. 'Drowning' refers to dying from submersion in water. An object can sink without drowning; a person can drown without necessarily sinking first.
Rarely. It is almost always negative, implying loss, failure, or decline. A possible neutral/positive use is 'sinking into a comfortable chair'.
A fund established by an entity (e.g., a company or government) where money is set aside regularly to repay a debt or replace an asset at a future date.
The process of moving downward through water or another liquid.
Sinking is usually neutral to formal in register.
Sinking: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Like rats deserting a sinking ship”
- “A sinking feeling”
- “Sinking fund”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a SINKing ship – both start with SIN, and sinking often feels like a sin (bad).
Conceptual Metaphor
FAILURE IS SINKING (e.g., 'His career is sinking'), DESPAIR IS SINKING (e.g., 'A sinking feeling'), DECREASE IS SINKING (e.g., 'Sinking profits').
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase uses 'sinking' metaphorically?