descend (dɪˈsɛnd
)
Definitions
verb (mainly intr)
- (also tr) to move, pass, or go down (a hill, slope, staircase, etc)
- (of a hill, slope, or path) to lead or extend down; slope; incline
- to move to a lower level, pitch, etc; fall
- (often foll by from) to be connected by a blood relationship (to a dead or extinct individual, race, species, etc)
- to be passed on by parents or ancestors; be inherited
- to sink or come down in morals or behaviour; lower oneself
- often foll by on or upon to arrive or attack in a sudden or overwhelming way ⇒
their relatives descended upon them last week
- (of the sun, moon, etc) to move towards the horizon
Alternative Forms
desˈcendable adjectiveWord Origin
C13: from Old French descendre, from Latin dēscendere, from de- + scandere to climb; see scanSynonyms
View thesaurus entryTranslations
- British English:
descend
If you descend, or if you descend something, you move downwards.We descended to the cellar. She descended one flight of stairs.dɪˈsɛnd VERB We descended to the cellar. She descended one flight of stairs.
- Spanish:
descender
v
- French:
descendre
v
- German: hinabgehen v
- Chinese: 下降 v
- Arabic: يَنْحَدِرُ v
- Portuguese: descer v
- Russian: спускаться v
- Croatian: sići v
- Czech: sestoupit v sestupovat
- Danish: stige ned v
- Dutch: afdalen v
- Finnish: laskeutua v
- Greek: κατεβαίνω v
- Italian: scendere v
- Japanese: 降りる v
- Korean: 내려가다 v
- Norwegian: gå ned v
- Polish: zejść v schodzić
- Brazilian Portuguese: descer v
- European Spanish:
descender
v
- Swedish: härstamma v
- Thai: ลงมา v
- Turkish: inmek v
- Vietnamese: đi xuống v
Usage examples
The moment lasted just long enough for an uncomfortable silence to descend between them.
, TREASON KEEP (2001)Andy Best, a sonar expert at Marconi Underwater Systems near Portsmouth, says most military submarines don't descend to such depths.
New Scientist (1999)In a few weeks, hundreds of children will descend on the house in what has become a new neighbourhood tradition.
Globe and Mail (2003)Let's hope that the McConnell administration doesn't descend into ugly Labour tribalism.
Glasgow Herald (2001)The redness continues for a long, long time as we descend still further.
, THE EARTH: An Intimate History (2004)