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

“When it fell out, I was driving down the road and I was just like, there was something that just felt like the descending part of it,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times

Before the injury, Sheldon football and baseball assistant coach Scott Wright thought every college football coach in America soon would descend on their small town to start courting their quarterback.

From Los Angeles Times

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

The atmosphere in the city following the racist killings was "like a cloud" had descended, she added.

From BBC

A fireworks display descended into chaos when rockets flew into the crowd and hit spectators.

From BBC

Related Words

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