- [intransitive]
to go down below the surface or towards the bottom of a liquid or soft substance 下沉；下陷；沉没 The ship sank to the bottom of the sea. 船沉入海底。 🔊🔊 The submarine sank after an explosion. 潜水艇在爆炸后沉没。 We're sinking! 我们正在下沉！ 🔊🔊 - sink into something
The wheels started to sink into the mud. 车轮渐渐陷进泥里。 🔊🔊 The little boat sank beneath the waves. 小船沉没在海浪之下。
Extra ExamplesIt seemed as though the ship had sunk without trace. 那艘船沉没后似乎没有留下一丝痕迹。 Duane was in waist-deep and sinking fast. 杜安陷到了齐腰深的地方，而且还在快速下沉。 He sank up to his knees in the mud. 他陷进没膝深的泥里。 Our feet sank deep into the soft sand as we walked. 我们一迈步，脚就深深陷进松软的沙里。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- slowly
- fast
- down
- …
- begin to
- start to
- below
- beneath
- into
- …
- sink like a stone
- sink or swim
- sink to the bottom (of something)
- …
- [transitive] sink something
to damage a boat or ship so that it goes below the surface of the sea, etc. 使下沉；使沉没 The battleship was sunk by a torpedo. 该战舰被鱼雷击沉。 Bombs sank all four carriers. 炸弹击沉了所有四个运载工具。 Five brothers all died when their ship was sunk. 他们的船沉没时，五个兄弟都死了。
- [intransitive] + adv./prep.
(of a person 人 to move downwards, especially by falling or sitting down 倒下；坐下 I sank into an armchair. 我坐到扶手椅上。 🔊🔊 She sank back into her seat, exhausted. 她筋疲力尽，又坐回椅子上。 🔊🔊 The old man had sunk to his knees. 老头跪在了地上。 🔊🔊
Extra ExamplesHe sank lower into his chair. 他坐在椅子上的身子又往下陷了陷。 I sank gratefully into the warm, dry bed. 我一下躺倒在温暖干爽的床上。 She sank gracefully down onto a cushion at his feet. 她优雅地坐到他脚边的垫子上。 She sank to the ground, exhausted. 她筋疲力尽地瘫倒在地上。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- wearily
- gratefully
- gracefully
- …
- into
- onto
- sink below the horizon
- sink to the floor
- sink to the ground
- …
- [intransitive]
(of an object 物体 to move slowly downwards 下沉；下陷；沉降 The sun was sinking in the west. 太阳西下。 🔊🔊 The sun had sunk below the horizon. 太阳落下了地平线。 The foundations of the building are starting to sink. 楼房的地基开始下陷。 🔊🔊
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- wearily
- gratefully
- gracefully
- …
- into
- onto
- sink below the horizon
- sink to the floor
- sink to the ground
- …
- [intransitive]
to decrease in amount, volume, strength, etc. 降低；减少；减弱 The pound has sunk to its lowest recorded level against the dollar. 英镑对美元的比价降到了有记录以来最低水平。 🔊🔊 He is clearly sinking fast (= getting weaker quickly and will soon die). 很明显，他的身体在急剧衰弱。 🔊🔊
Extra ExamplesTopics Change, cause and effectc1The project gradually sank into oblivion. 该项目渐渐被淡忘。 The airline industry is sinking under the weight of its losses. 因亏损拖累，航空业正走向衰退。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- quickly
- rapidly
- gradually
- …
- into
- sink to a new low
- sink to new lows
- [intransitive]
to become quieter 变低；变小 - [transitive] sink something
to make a deep hole in the ground 挖，掘（深坑、深洞） to sink a well/shaft/mine 掘水井／竖井／矿井
- [transitive] sink something (+ adv./prep.)
to place something in the ground by digging 埋入；打下 to sink a post into the ground 在地下埋入一根杆子
- [transitive] sink something/somebody (informal)
to prevent somebody or somebody’s plans from succeeding 使失败；使受挫；阻挠 I think I've just sunk my chances of getting the job. 我想，我刚刚葬送了得到那份工作的机会。 🔊🔊 If the car breaks down, we'll be sunk (= have serious problems). 要是车坏了，咱们可就惨了。 🔊🔊
- [transitive] sink something
to hit a ball into a hole in golf or snooker （高尔夫球）击球入洞；（斯诺克）击球入袋 - [transitive] sink something (British English, informal)
to drink something quickly, especially a large amount of alcohol 猛喝；灌 They sank three pints each in 10 minutes. 他们在10分钟内分别沉了3品脱。
in water/mud, etc.在水／泥等里
boat船只
fall/sit down倒下；坐下
move downwards下降
become weaker减弱
of voice声音
dig in ground在地上挖掘
prevent success使不成功
ball球
alcohol酒
Word Originverb Old English sincan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zinken and German sinken.
Idioms
be sunk in something
(like rats) deserting/leaving a sinking ship
- (humorous, disapproving)
used to talk about people who leave an organization, a company, etc. that is having difficulties, without caring about the people who are left （比喻只顾自己而离开处于困境中的机构等）（像）逃离沉船（的老鼠）
somebody’s heart sinks
sink your differences
to agree to forget about your disagreements 摒弃分歧；搁置歧见 We need to sink our differences and present a united opposition to the plan. 我们需要消除分歧，对计划表示反对。
a/that sinking feeling
- (informal)
an unpleasant feeling that you get when you realize that something bad has happened or is going to happen 不祥的感觉；沮丧之情 I had a horrible sinking feeling when I saw the ambulance outside the house. 当我看到房子外面的救护车时，我有一种可怕的下沉感。
sink or swim
to be in a situation where you will either succeed by your own efforts or fail completely 不自救，必沉沦；自己努力，以求生存 The new students were just left to sink or swim. 学校完全让新生自生自灭。 🔊🔊 In a situation like this, you either sink or swim. 在这样的情况下不自救必沉沦。
sink so low | sink to something
to have such low moral standards that you do something very bad 堕落到这种地步；沉沦到某种程度
sink/stoop to a new/an all-time low
to behave in a worse way than ever before 陷入不快（或沉思）中 The government has stooped to an all-time low with this policy. 政府已经屈服于历史最低点。 Reality TV has sunk to new lows. 真人秀电视已跌至新低。
