descend

American  

[dih-send] / dɪˈsɛnd /

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 byfrom ).

   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 orupon ).

   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 orupon ).

    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.

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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 British  

/ 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. 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

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Other Word Forms

• descendable
  adjective
• descendingly
  adverb
• predescend
  verb
• redescend
  verb
• undescending
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of descend

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”; cf. scansion

Explanation

In its simplest sense, descend means to go or move downward, but there are a couple of subtle variations on this theme. Yes, a bird can descend from the sky, but also, humans are descended from prehistoric ancestors. If you've ever heard a pilot say "prepare for our descent", then you know that only one letter separates the noun descent from the verb descend. They both derive from the same Latin components de, meaning "down," and scandere, "to climb." Similarly, if someone condescends to you, they are said, derogatorily, to be coming down to your level. All Americans are descended from peoples from other continents, such as Europe, Africa, and Asia. We've all "come down" from our ancestors.

Example Sentences

Descend Point Loma Avenue to its end and turn left on Canon Street.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2024

Descend the spiral Atmospheric stairway path What rough beast is this?

From Seattle Times • Nov. 1, 2021

Descend this teeming new-build from penthouse to cellar and you may find more to like the further you go.

From The Guardian • Oct. 26, 2018

Descend before the rains came again and flooded their way out.

From Washington Post • Oct. 6, 2017

Oh, may some change of fate, sire Zeus, from Thee Descend our woes to end!

From Tennyson and His Friends by Various

Related Words

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