Descend Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

1 : to come or go down from a higher place or level to a lower one The elevator descended. · 2 : to move down or down along Descending the cliff was dangerous. Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks JoinMWU MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut descend verb SaveWord de·​scend |\di-ˈsend ,dē-\ descended;descending;descends Definitionofdescend intransitiveverb 1 :topassfromahigherplaceorleveltoalowerone descendedfromtheplatform 2 :topassindiscussionfromwhatislogicallypriorormorecomprehensive descendsfromthegeneraltothespecific 3a :tooriginateorcomefromanancestralstockorsource:derive descendsfromanoldmerchantfamily b :topassbyinheritance adeskthathasdescendedinthefamily c :topassbytransmission songsdescendedfromoldballads 4a :toincline,lead,orextenddownward theroaddescendstotheriver b physiology :toconductnerveimpulsesawayfromthebrain …lesionsthatinterruptthedescendingpathwaysfromthecortexorbrainstemproduceweaknessinvoluntarymovements…—ClaudeGhezandJohnKrakauer 5a :toswooporpouncedown(asinasuddenattack) ahawkdescendinguponitsprey b :toappearsuddenlyandoftendisconcertinglyasiffromabove reportersdescendedonthecandidate 6 :toproceedinasequenceorgradationfromhighertolowerorfrommoreremotetonearerormorerecent Theirscoreswerelistedindescendingorder. 7a :toloweroneselfinstatusordignity:stoop b :toworsenandsinkinconditionorestimation Hedescendedintoadeepdepression.descendedtopovertydescendintochaos c :topassfromhighertolowermusicalnotes Theharmonydescendschromatically. transitiveverb 1 :topass,move,orclimbdownordownalong descendingthestaircase 2 :toextenddownalong anarrowscardescendedherarm OtherWordsfromdescend Synonyms&Antonyms MoreExampleSentences PhrasesContainingdescend LearnMoreAboutdescend OtherWordsfromdescend descendible \ di-​ˈsen-​də-​bəl ,dē-​ \ adjective Synonyms&Antonymsfordescend Synonyms decline, dip, drop, fall, plunge, sink Antonyms arise, ascend, climb, mount, rise, uprise, upsweep, upturn VisittheThesaurusforMore  ExamplesofdescendinaSentence Waitfortheelevatortodescend. Theworkersdescendedintothehole. Aherdofgoatsdescendedintothevalley. Theairplanewilldescendtoaloweraltitudesoon. Descendingthemountainwasevenmoredangerousthanclimbingit. Thechildrendescendedthestaircasesilently. Thepathdescendstotheriver. Thestairsdescendedintothetunnel. SeeMore RecentExamplesontheWeb AfterabriefstintatoptheTankathonstandings,theRocketsdescendbackdowntothesecondseedat16-48,tiedinthewincolumnwiththeOrlandoMagic(16-49). — RahatHuq,Chron,7Mar.2022 EveryDecember,artloversfromaroundtheworlddescendonMiamiforArtBasel. — BrittanyAnas,Forbes,20Jan.2022 OncePerinaannounceshisdiscovery,missionariesandpharmaceuticalrepresentativesdescendonthetribe,ultimatelydestroyingit. — TheNewYorker,10Jan.2022 Atmidnight,comingindrovesfromearliercelebrationsputonbyChanel,Moncler,andPlayboy,partygoersdid,indeed,descenduponthevenueinsearchofanightcap. — ZacharyWeiss,Vogue,7Dec.2021 Whenthesecreaturespoop,thecarbon-richpelletsdescendthroughthewatercolumnasmarinesnow. — MattSimon,Wired,12Nov.2021 Howcouldagroupofostensibleanti-vaccineprotesters,manywonder,descendupontheircityandmanagetotakeitover? — NewYorkTimes,10Feb.2022 Someoftheslidesloopoutsidethewallsbeforebringingridersbackin;othersdescendbelowfloorlevelbeforesurgingbackuptothefinish. — al,3Feb.2022 Eachyear,foodanddrinkexperts(thinkMarcusSamuelsson,GuyFieri,andMarthaStewart)descendonAspenforaweekendofseminars,demos,andlotsandlotsoftastings. — EvieCarrick,Travel+Leisure,26Jan.2022 Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'descend.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. SeeMore PhrasesContainingdescend descend/sink/stooptosomeone'slevel descendfrom descendto descend/sink/stooptosomeone'slevel descendfrom descendto FirstKnownUseofdescend 14thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedatintransitivesense3b HistoryandEtymologyfordescend MiddleEnglish,fromAnglo-Frenchdescendre,fromLatindescendere,fromde-+scanderetoclimb—moreatscan LearnMoreAboutdescend Sharedescend PosttheDefinitionofdescendtoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofdescendonTwitter TimeTravelerfordescend Thefirstknownuseofdescendwas inthe14thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury DictionaryEntriesNeardescend Descartian descend descendance SeeMoreNearbyEntries  Statisticsfordescend LastUpdated 13Mar2022 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Descend.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descend.Accessed15Mar.2022. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsfordescend descend verb de·​scend |\di-ˈsend \ descended;descending KidsDefinitionofdescend 1 :tocomeorgodownfromahigherplaceorleveltoalowerone Theelevatordescended. 2 :tomovedownordownalong Descendingthecliffwasdangerous. 3 :toslopeorleaddownward Theroaddescendstothevalley. 4 :tocomedownfromanearliertime Thecustomdescendsfromancienttimes. 5 :tocomedownfromasourceorancestor:derive ManywordsdescendfromLatin. 6 :tobehandeddowntoanheir 7 :toarrivefromorasiffromthesky Locustsdescendedonthecrops.Holidayshoppersdescendedonthemall. 8 :tosinkindignityorrespectability:stoop Ineverthoughttheywoulddescendtocheating. 9 :tosinktoaworsecondition Theclassroomdescendedintochaos. descend intransitiveverb de·​scend |\di-ˈsend \ Medical Definitionofdescend :topassfromahigherplaceorleveltoalowerone normallythetesticledescendsintothescrotumbetweentheseventhandninthmonthinutero—TherapeuticNotes descend intransitiveverb de·​scend |\di-ˈsend \ Legal Definitionofdescend :topassbyinheritance OtherWordsfromdescend descendibility \ -​ˌsen-​də-​ˈbi-​lə-​tē \ noun descendible \ -​ˈsen-​də-​bəl \ adjective MorefromMerriam-Websterondescend Nglish:TranslationofdescendforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofdescendforArabicSpeakers WORDOFTHEDAY gregarious SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! TestYourVocabulary DifficultSpellingWordsQuiz Whichisthecorrectspelling? accommodate acommodate accomodate acommadate Testyourvocabularywithour10-questionquiz! TAKETHEQUIZ Adailychallengeforcrosswordfanatics. TAKETHEQUIZ SubscribetoAmerica'slargestdictionaryandgetthousandsmoredefinitionsandadvancedsearch—adfree! Merriam-Websterunabridged WordsatPlay 13UnusuallyLongEnglishWords Pulchritudinousandmanymore St.Patrick'sDay Irishwords,greenthings,limericks,andmore 'Awhile'vs.'AWhile' Therearerules,butwho'slistening? AbsentLettersThatAreHeardAnyway Theyaren'tseenbuttheyareheard AsktheEditors 'Everyday'vs.'EveryDay' Asimpletricktokeepthemseparate WhatIs'SemanticBleaching'? How'literally'canmean"figuratively" Literally Howtouseawordthat(literally)drivessomepe... IsSingular'They'aBetterChoice? Theawkwardcaseof'hisorher' WordGames GreatWordsforScrabble WordstoimproveyourScrabblegame Takethequiz TheReturnofCommonlyConfusedWords Yourchallengeisimminent.Orisitimmanent? Takethequiz HowStrongIsYourVocabulary? Testyourvocabularywithour10-questionquiz! Takethequiz