descend

duh-SEND/dəˈsɛnd/UKdi-SEND/dɪˈsɛnd/

25 meanings of descend

1
verbintransitive
To move down from a higher place to a lower one.
Like climbing down a ladder, one step at a time.
We watched the climbers descend slowly from the peak.
The plane began to descend toward the runway.
Similardrop, sink, fall
Oppositerise, climb, ascend
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2
verbtransitive
To go down something such as stairs or a hill.
She descended the stairs carefully in the dark.
They descend the steep path every morning to reach the beach.
Oppositeascend, climb, mount, scale
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3
verbtransitive
Of a road or stairs, to go down a hill or slope.
The narrow road descends the hillside in tight curves.
These steps descend the cliff to a small dock below.
Oppositeascend, climb
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4
verbintransitive
To slant or slope downward toward a lower point.
The garden descends gently toward the pond.
Behind the house, the fields descend to a stream.
Similarslope, drop, fall, dip, plunge
Oppositerise, ascend, climb
5
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To go down in strength, loudness, or amount.
Like a sound slowly fading until it is almost gone.
The music descends to a soft whisper at the end.
Voices descend to a murmur when the lights dim.
Similardrop, fall, sink, decrease, decline
Oppositerise, increase, climb, mount
6
verbintransitive
To come from a person or family that lived long ago.
Like a family tree, where each branch grows from an older one.
Many English words descend from old Latin roots.
She is descended from a long line of farmers.
Similarstem, derive, come, spring, originate
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7
verbfigurativelyintransitive
Of a cloud, storm, darkness, or silence, to settle over a place and begin to affect it.
Like a blanket slowly being pulled over everything.
Storms descend on the coast without much warning.
A heavy gloom descended over the village after the news.
Similarfall, settle
Oppositelift, clear
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8
verbfigurativelyintransitive
Of a situation, to slowly get worse and worse.
Like a slide that only goes downhill, getting worse the lower you go.
The peaceful protest descended into chaos within hours.
Talks can descend into argument when both sides are tired.
Similardegenerate
9
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To suddenly attack a place or person, often from above or with force.
Like a bird dropping down quickly to grab its food.
The raiders descended on the sleeping village at dawn.
Wolves descend on the herd whenever it strays too far.
Similarswoop, pounce, attack, raid, invade
Oppositeretreat, withdraw
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10
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To show up somewhere suddenly in a way that causes trouble.
Like a crowd suddenly showing up at your door before you are ready.
Reporters descended on the small town after the discovery.
Relatives descend on us every holiday without any warning.
Similarinvade, flock, swarm, overrun, converge
Oppositedesert, leave

11
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To lower yourself to a worse or less honest way of behaving.
Like choosing to crawl in the mud when you could stand tall.
He would never descend to cheating, no matter the prize.
She refused to descend to their level of name-calling.
Similarstoop, sink, fall, decline
Oppositerise, climb, ascend
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12
verbintransitive
Of a feature or trait, to be passed from a parent to a child.
Like getting your mom's smile or your dad's height.
Red hair often descends from grandparent to grandchild.
Certain traits descend through families for generations.
Similarpass
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13
verbintransitive
Of property or a right, to be passed down to someone through inheritance.
Like a house being handed down to children after their parents pass away.
The estate descends to the eldest child under the old rules.
These rights descend automatically to the surviving spouse.
Similarpass, devolve, go (entry), fall, transfer
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14
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To go from bigger numbers down to smaller ones in a row of values.
Like counting backward, going from big numbers down to small ones.
The numbers descend from one hundred down to zero.
Each row descends by five until it reaches zero.
Similardecrease, decline, fall, drop, diminish
Oppositeascend, increase, rise, climb
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15
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To move from a higher musical note down to a lower one.
Like walking down a staircase, but each step is a lower note.
The notes descend gently toward the last chord.
Her voice descended into a soft, low hum.
Similarfall, drop, sink, dip
Oppositeascend, rise, climb
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16
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To move from big, general ideas down to small, detailed ones while speaking or writing.
Like a list that starts with the main idea, then moves down to the small parts.
After the introduction, the speaker descended to minor details.
Good essays often descend from broad ideas to specific examples.
Similarproceed, move, pass, turn
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17
verbintransitive
Used when a body part moves lower inside the body, especially before a baby is born.
Like a small object slowly slipping down into a pouch.
In most male babies, the testes descend before birth.
If a testicle fails to descend, doctors may suggest surgery.
Oppositeascend, rise
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18
verbintransitive
To sink lower in the sky toward the horizon, as a star or planet does.
Like the sun slowly dropping toward the edge of the sky in the evening.
By midnight the moon had descended toward the western hills.
Stars descend in the sky as the night goes on.
Similarset, sink, decline
Oppositerise, ascend
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19
verbhistoricalintransitive
To get down from a horse, carriage, or boat.
Like stepping down from a tall step onto the ground.
The lady descended from the carriage with the footman's help.
Their ſails they loos'd, they laſh'd the maſt aſide, / And caſt their anchors, and the cables ty'd: / Then on the breezy ſhore deſcending, join / In grateful banquet o'er the roſy vvine.
1726, Homer, The Odyssey of HomerHere, descending means getting off the ship and coming onto land.
Similaralight, disembark, dismount, land
Oppositeboard, embark, mount
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20
verbliteraryfigurativelyintransitive
To turn your mind inward and enter deep thought or quiet meditation.
Like going into a quiet room inside your own mind.
She liked to descend into herself before making any big choice.
Each evening he would descend within himself in silent prayer.
Similarwithdraw, retreat, retire, turn
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21
verbintransitive
In astrology, to sink toward the horizon or move into a weaker position.
Like a player moving to a weaker spot on a board and losing some power.
Astrologers noted that the sign had descended below the horizon.
When planets descend, their influence is said to grow weaker.
Similarsink, set, decline
Oppositerise, ascend
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22
verbobsoleteintransitive
Used when a liquid drips out of another substance and collects in the container below.
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23
verbarchaictransitive
To move someone or something down from a higher place to a lower one.
Like using a rope to slowly let a basket down to the ground.
They descended the heavy crates into the cellar with ropes.
The servants descend the lamps each evening to clean them.
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24
verbobsoletetransitive
To trace a family line from older ancestors down to younger ones.
Like following a family tree from the top down to today's children.
The historian descended the royal line from its founder to the present king.
Scholars descend the family from a single known ancestor.
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25
nounarchaic
An act of going down, or a path or slope that leads downward.
Like the downhill part of a road after you reach the top of a hill.
The path made a sharp descend toward the shore.
The road's steep descends made the wagons hard to control.
Similardescent
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Practice

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Origin

This word came into English from Old French and Anglo-Norman words meaning 'to go down.' They came from Latin dēscendere, made of de- ('down from') plus scandō ('to climb').