descend

verb

de·​scend di-ˈsend 

dē-

descended; descending; descends

intransitive verb

1

: to pass from a higher place or level to a lower one

descended from the platform

2

: to pass in discussion from what is logically prior or more comprehensive

descends from the general to the specific

3

a

: to originate or come from an ancestral stock or source : derive

descends from an old merchant family

b

: to pass by inheritance

a desk that has descended in the family

c

: to pass by transmission

songs descended from old ballads

4

a

: to incline, lead, or extend downward

the road descends to the river

b

physiology : to conduct nerve impulses away from the brain

… lesions that interrupt the descending pathways from the cortex or brain stem produce weakness in voluntary movements …

—Claude Ghez and John Krakauer

5

a

: to swoop or pounce down (as in a sudden attack)

a hawk descending upon its prey

b

: to appear suddenly and often disconcertingly as if from above

reporters descended on the candidate

6

: to proceed in a sequence or gradation from higher to lower or from more remote to nearer or more recent

Their scores were listed in descending order.

7

a

: to lower oneself in status or dignity : stoop

b

: to worsen and sink in condition or estimation

He descended into a deep depression.

descended to poverty

descend into chaos

c

: to pass from higher to lower musical notes

The harmony descends chromatically.

transitive verb

1

: to pass, move, or climb down or down along

descending the staircase

2

: to extend down along

a narrow scar descended her arm

descendible

di-ˈsen-də-bəl 

dē-

adjective

Synonyms

• decline
• dip
• drop
• fall
• plunge
• sink

Examples of descend in a Sentence

Wait for the elevator to descend.

The workers descended into the hole.

A herd of goats descended into the valley.

The airplane will descend to a lower altitude soon.

Descending the mountain was even more dangerous than climbing it.

The children descended the staircase silently.

The path descends to the river.

The stairs descended into the tunnel.

Recent Examples on the Web

Soon, the full blue-black shades of night descended. —Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 10 Nov. 2024

And after the chaos Washington descended into following the 2020 election, analysts might be prudent to assume Trump wouldn’t take another loss without an intense battle. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024

Gelles notes that on Jan. 6, 2021, before the mob descended on the U.S. Capitol, Trump’s first tweet of the day was a missive aimed at Todd. —Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2024

Unlike neighboring Arab countries that experienced massive popular uprisings in 2011, Tunisia did not immediately revert to authoritarianism or descend into civil war. —Sarah E. Yerkes, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French descendre, from Latin descendere, from de- + scandere to climb — more at scan

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3b

Phrases Containing descend

• descend from
• descend/sink/stoop to someone's level
• descend to

Kids Definition

descend

verb

de·​scend di-ˈsend 

1

: to pass from a higher to a lower place or level

2

a

: to originate or come down from a source : derive

descended from an ancient family

b

: to be handed down to an heir or from an earlier time

the mansion descended to a son

a custom descended from ancient times

3

a

: to incline, lead, or extend downward

the road descends to the river

b

: to pass, move, or climb down or down along

4

: to make a sudden attack by or as if by swooping down

5

: to sink in status, dignity, or condition

Medical Definition

descend

intransitive verb

de·​scend di-ˈsend 

: to pass from a higher place or level to a lower one

normally the testicle descends into the scrotum between the seventh and ninth month in utero

—Therapeutic Notes

Legal Definition

descend

intransitive verb

de·​scend di-ˈsend 

: to pass by inheritance

descendibility

-ˌsen-də-ˈbi-lə-tē

noun

descendible

-ˈsen-də-bəl 

adjective