Cool MateCome down vs Sink
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Come down
Top 2,000 (common)
Sink
Top 1,000 (very common)B1verb
Most common: Sink
| Come down | Sink | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //kʌm daʊn//🇺🇸 //kʌm daʊn// | 🇬🇧 /["/sɪŋk/","/sɪŋks/","/sæŋk/","/sʌŋk/","/ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/sɪŋk/","/sɪŋks/","/sæŋk/","/sʌŋk/","/ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To lower in position or to decrease. | A place where you wash dishes and hands. |
| Example | Please come down from the roof carefully. | The ship began to sink after hitting the iceberg. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | B1 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | come down to earth, come down hard, come down in price, come down for dinner, come down with an illness | slowly, fast, down, begin to, start to, below, beneath, into, sink like a stone, sink or swim, sink to the bottom (of something), wearily, gratefully, gracefully, into, onto, sink below the horizon, sink to the floor, sink to the ground, wearily, gratefully, gracefully, into, onto, sink below the horizon, sink to the floor, sink to the ground, quickly, rapidly, gradually, into, sink to a new low, sink to new lows |
| Antonyms | - | float, rise |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'come up' which means to increase or approach., Using 'come down' with a direct object, which is incorrect., Mixing up the preposition when trying to indicate direction. | Confused with 'sank' - the past tense of sink., Using 'sink' as a noun when describing the action of sinking., Mispronouncing it as 'sinc'. |
| Usage notes | Use 'come down' when talking about moving to a lower place or when discussing decreasing prices or moods. It's suitable for casual conversation and informal contexts. | Used in everyday contexts for kitchens and bathrooms. Not used in formal writing. Avoid confusion with 'sank' which is its past tense. |
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Frequently asked questions: Come down vs Sink
What's the difference between Come down and Sink?
Come down: To lower in position or to decrease. Sink: A place where you wash dishes and hands.
Which is more common: Come down and Sink?
Sink is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Come down: Please come down from the roof carefully. Sink: The ship began to sink after hitting the iceberg.
Can I use Come down and Sink interchangeably?
Not always. Come down and Sink are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.