descend

[ dih-send ]

verb (used without object)

1. to go or pass from a higher to a lower place; move or come down:

   to descend from the mountaintop.

2. to pass from higher to lower in any scale or series.
3. to go from generals to particulars, as in a discussion.
4. to slope, tend, or lead downward:

   The path descends to the pond.

5. to be inherited or transmitted, as through succeeding generations of a family:

   The title descends through eldest sons.

6. to have a specific person or family among one's ancestors (usually followed by from ):

   He is descended from Cromwell.

7. to be derived from something remote in time, especially through continuous transmission:

   This festival descends from a druidic rite.

8. to approach or pounce upon, especially in a greedy or hasty manner (followed by on or upon ):

   Thrill-seekers descended upon the scene of the crime.

9. to settle, as a cloud or vapor.
10. to appear or become manifest, as a supernatural being, state of mind, etc.:

    Jupiter descended to humankind.

11. to attack, especially with violence and suddenness (usually followed by on or upon ):

    to descend upon enemy soldiers.

12. to sink or come down from a certain intellectual, moral, or social standard:

    He would never descend to baseness.

13. Astronomy. to move toward the horizon, as the sun or a star.

verb (used with object)

1. to move downward upon or along; go or climb down (stairs, a hill, etc.).
2. to extend or lead down along:

   The path descends the hill.

descend

/ dɪˈsɛnd /

verb

1. also tr to move, pass, or go down (a hill, slope, staircase, etc)
2. (of a hill, slope, or path) to lead or extend down; slope; incline
3. to move to a lower level, pitch, etc; fall
4. often foll by from to be connected by a blood relationship (to a dead or extinct individual, race, species, etc)
5. to be passed on by parents or ancestors; be inherited
6. to sink or come down in morals or behaviour; lower oneself
7. often foll byon or upon to arrive or attack in a sudden or overwhelming way

   their relatives descended upon them last week

8. (of the sun, moon, etc) to move towards the horizon

Derived Forms

• desˈcendable, adjective

Other Words From

• de·scend·ing·ly adverb
• pre·de·scend verb
• re·de·scend verb
• un·de·scend·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of descend¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English descenden, from Old French descendre, from Latin dēscendere, equivalent to dē- de- + -scendere, combining form of scandere “to climb”; scansion

Word History and Origins

Origin of descend¹

C13: from Old French descendre, from Latin dēscendere, from de- + scandere to climb; see scan

Example Sentences

You may eventually see that you’ve been bamboozled, or you may continue to descend into the mass psychosis gripping the American mind.

From Salon

Stars will descend on Manchester on Sunday for this year's MTV Europe Music Awards, with a cast list including Shawn Mendes, Raye and South African singer Tyla.

From BBC

“Before every election, American authorities and media descend into hysteria about ‘Russain disinformation and inference,’” the embassy wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

Whenever one is posted, customers within quick driving or running distance descend upon the store, as they did last Thursday afternoon after the Century City Pop Mart used red siren emojis to announce it had 83 Labubus for sale: “Hot restock announcement… sales start right now.”

From Los Angeles Times

There are many great and memorable exhibits in the museum, but perhaps the pièce de résistance is the massive Olympic pool-sized ball pit that hosts intermittent light shows in which additional balls and spotlights descend from the already bulbous ceiling.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cascade
• collapse
• crash
• dip
• disembark
• dive
• go down
• penetrate
• plummet
• plunge
• settle
• sink
• slide
• stumble
• subside
• swoop
• trickle
• tumble