descended; descending; descends
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
Claude Ghez and John Krakauer5
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.
1
: to pass, move, or climb down or down along
descending the staircase
2
: to extend down along
a narrow scar descended her arm
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
Blinken met Friday with Turkey's foreign minister following discussions with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, aiming to bring Turkey into a broader consensus to prevent Syria from descending further into chaos.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Across the Middle East and North Africa, many revolutions have overthrown autocrats, only for those countries to descend back into chaos or a more oppressive rule.
—NPR, 13 Dec. 2024
Syrians descend on Damascus hospital in search for country's missing
The pill is the synthetic stimulant fenethylline or fenetylline, known by the brand name Captagon, that overtook the Middle East as a popular drug.
—Desiree Adib, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2024
Gilmore matriarch Emily un-invites Lorelai from the annual Christmas dinner, which descends into chaos anyway when Richard ends up in the hospital.
—Esther Zuckerman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for descend 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Across the Middle East and North Africa, many revolutions have overthrown autocrats, only for those countries to descend back into chaos or a more oppressive rule.
—NPR, 13 Dec. 2024
Syrians descend on Damascus hospital in search for country's missing
The pill is the synthetic stimulant fenethylline or fenetylline, known by the brand name Captagon, that overtook the Middle East as a popular drug.
—Desiree Adib, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2024
Gilmore matriarch Emily un-invites Lorelai from the annual Christmas dinner, which descends into chaos anyway when Richard ends up in the hospital.
—Esther Zuckerman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for descend
Dictionary Entries Near descend
Cite this Entry
“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descend. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Therapeutic NotesLegal Definition
descend
intransitive verb
de·scend
di-ˈsend
: to pass by inheritance
descendibility
noun
-ˌsen-də-ˈbi-lə-tē
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share