sinking

sinking — noun

1. a gradual decrease in the level, strength, or success of something, happening ov

1.nounB2
Definition

a gradual decrease in the level, strength, or success of something, happening over a period of time — for example, the sinking of a company's reputation after a scandal, or the sinking of a town's economy after its main factory closes

Example

The sinking of the old steel town's economy continued for another five years.

sinking of + noun phrase (economy/sector/market)

After losing three major clients, Gabriel could not stop the sinking of his company's reputation.

Common collocations
  • economic sinking
  • sinking reputation
  • sinking morale
  • sinking confidence
  • sinking of the economy
  • sinking of the market
Synonyms
  • decline

    more general and common for any decrease; 'sinking' implies a more relentless, ongoing loss

  • deterioration

    more formal, suggests a worsening in quality or condition over time

  • downfall

    more dramatic, suggesting complete failure or ruin rather than a gradual process

Antonyms
  • rise

    general opposite for any upward movement in level or amount

  • recovery

    specifically for improvement after a period of decline or difficulty

Grammar Patterns

the sinking of + noun phrase

further/gradual/slow + sinking

Usage Note

The noun 'sinking' is less common than the verb 'sink' for describing physical decline; it is most often used for abstract or metaphorical loss — in an economy, reputation, confidence, or morale. The fixed expression 'sinking feeling' describes a sudden sense of dread or disappointment.

Common Mistakes

The sinking of the stock market happened in a single afternoon.
The crash of the stock market happened in a single afternoon.
'Sinking' describes a gradual process, not a sudden collapse, so 'crash' is more accurate for rapid drops.
There has been a sinking in his health recently.
There has been a decline in his health recently.
For health, 'decline' is the more natural noun; 'sinking' is used for morale, confidence, financial strength, or reputation.

2. the action of moving down below the surface of a body of water or other liquid —

2.nounB1
Definition

the action of moving down below the surface of a body of water or other liquid — for example, the sinking of a ship after it is damaged, or the sinking of an object dropped into a lake

Example

The sinking of the small wooden fishing boat took less than two minutes.

sinking of + vessel noun phrase

Rafael watched the slow sinking of the toy boat into the garden pond.

Common collocations
  • ship's sinking
  • boat's sinking
  • sinking vessel
  • sinking into water
  • slow sinking
  • gradual sinking
Synonyms
  • submersion

    more technical, emphasises the state of being fully covered by liquid; less common in everyday speech

  • descent

    more general, can describe any downward movement through air or water, not only into liquid

  • foundering

    specifically of a ship filling with water and sinking; more formal or literary

Antonyms
  • ascent

    general opposite for upward movement through water or air

  • floating

    staying on or near the surface rather than going under

Grammar Patterns

the sinking of + vessel noun phrase

possessive + sinking

slow/gradual + sinking

Usage Note

Common in historical and news contexts about shipwrecks, such as 'the sinking of the Titanic.' The noun form is preferred over the verb when referring to the event as a complete historical incident rather than describing the action in progress.

Common Mistakes

The sinking of the swimmer was very fast.
The swimmer sank very fast.
When describing a person going underwater, the verb form is more natural than the noun 'sinking,' which is reserved for vessels and large objects.

Word family

  • sink
    verbA2
  • sank
    verbB1
  • sunk
    verbB1
  • sunken
    adjectiveB2
  • sink
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four words describe downward movement, they differ in speed, domain, and connotation. 'Decline' is the broadest term, used for measurable decreases — in population, sales, health — and can be gradual or rapid. 'Drop' implies a sudden, often vertical fall, whether in price, temperature, or quantity. 'Descent' focuses on the path of downward movement and appears in both physical contexts (mountaineering, flight) and social ones (descent into poverty). 'Submersion' specifically means being fully covered by liquid and is restricted to physical contexts like diving or flooding. Of these, 'sinking' is unique in suggesting an ongoing, often unstoppable process — a ship does not simply descend into water; it sinks over time as water fills its hull. Similarly, a market does not just decline; it sinks as confidence drains away, implying a relentless downward pull.

declinedropdescentsubmersion

Common collocations

Phrases

  • slow sinking
  • gradual sinking
  • further sinking

Prepositions

  • into
  • of

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The noun 'sinking' comes from the Old English strong verb 'sincan', meaning 'to become submerged or go down'. The -ing suffix was added in Middle English to turn the verb into a noun that names the action or process. The metaphorical meaning — a decline in strength or quality — appeared in the 1500s and has been in use ever since. Related words exist in other Germanic languages: Old Saxon 'sinkan', Old High German 'sinkan' (modern German 'sinken'), and Old Norse 'søkkva', all from the Proto-Germanic root '*sinkwaną'.