descend

Syllables: de·scendUK/dɪˈsɛnd//dəˈsɛnd/

descend verb: to pass from a higher to a lower part of (something, such as a flight of stairs or a slope); to go down along or upon.

Verb

descend (third-person singular simple present descends, present participle descending, simple past and past participle descended)

(transitive) To pass from a higher to a lower part of (something, such as a flight of stairs or a slope); to go down along or upon.
- they descended the river in boats
- to descend a ladder
(transitive) Of a flight of stairs, a road, etc.: to lead down (a hill, a slope, etc.).
- They took the steep path that descends the hill down to the beach.
- Soon after Crowhurst, the down grade steepens to 1 in 100 as the line descends the side of a valley, at the mouth of which a glimpse of the sea can be caught—the only one.1957 August, H. P. White, “The Tonbridge-Hastings Line and its Traffic”, in Railway Magazine, page 528
(archaic, transitive) To move (someone or something) from a higher to a lower place or position; to bring or send (someone or something) down.
- [T]he common Devv exhaled from ſome ſorts of Herbs or VVeeds, but eſpecially from the common Graſs, carries vvith it the Seminal Tincture of the Herb, vvhich being again deſcended by Devvs or Rain upon the bare and naked Earth, re-produceth the ſame Species: […]a. 1677 (date written), Matthew Hale, “Concerning Vegetables, and Especially Insecta Animalia; whether any of Them are Sponte Orta, or Arise Not rather Ex Præexistente Semine”, in The Primitive...
(intransitive) To physically move or pass from a higher to a lower place or position; to come or go down in any way, such as by climbing, falling, flowing, walking, etc.; to move downwards; to fall, to sink.
- And there is another watergang, called Haile Fayers watergang, 4 miles long and 16 feet broad, which descendeth by a spoye of stone at Hofkirk bridge into the said great river, which must always be cast at the tenants' cost.1528 September 24 (Gregorian calendar), J[ohn] S[herren] Brewer, compiler, “[A Commission of Sewers for the Marches of Calais, […] Dated Hampton Court, 14 Sept. 20 Hen. VIII.]”, in Letters and...
- They leade theyr life in pleaſure, & at a poppe, down they deſcende into hell.1534 (date written; published 1553), Thomas More, “A Dyalogue of Comforte agaynste Tribulacyon, […]. Of the Deuill Named Negotium Perambulans in Tenebris, that is to Wit, Busines Walking in the...
Antonyms:

ascend, climb, go up, rise
(intransitive) Of a zodiac sign: to move away from the zenith towards the horizon; to sink; also, of a planet: to move to a place where it has less astrological significance.

Antonyms:

ascend, climb, go up, rise
(intransitive) Of a celestial body: to move away from the zenith towards the horizon; to sink; also, to move towards the south.
- [T]he ſetting Sun / Slowly deſcended, and with right aſpect / Againſt the eaſtern Gate of Paradiſe / Leveld his eevning Rayes: […]1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished...
- The moon had reached her summit in the heavens and was beginning to descend; the clouds swept across it swifter than the flight of the vulture and dimmed her rays, while the lake reflected the scene of the busy heavens, rendered still busier by the restless waves that were beginning to rise.1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter VI, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume III, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding...
Antonyms:

ascend, climb, go up, rise
(intransitive) Of a body part: to move downwards, especially during development of the embryo; specifically, of the testes of a mammal: to move downwards from the abdominal cavity into the scrotum.
- Cryptorchidism is the failure of one or both testes to descend into the scrotum.
Antonyms:

ascend, climb, go up, rise
(intransitive, obsolete) Of a liquid substance: to distil out from another substance and gather at the bottom of a container; also, to distil a substance to obtain another liquid substance in this manner.

Antonyms:

ascend, climb, go up, rise
(intransitive) To slope or stretch downwards.
- Novv paſs'd the rugged road, they journey dovvn / The cavern'd vvay deſcending to the tovvn, […]1726, Homer, “Book XVII”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume IV, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC, page 118, lines 230–231
(historical, intransitive) To alight from a carriage, a horse, etc.; also, to disembark from a vessel; to land.
- Their ſails they loos'd, they laſh'd the maſt aſide, / And caſt their anchors, and the cables ty'd: / Then on the breezy ſhore deſcending, join / In grateful banquet o'er the roſy vvine.1726, Homer, “Book XV”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume IV, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC, page 48, lines 437–440
- About ten o'clock a horse and wagon was descried making a slow approach to the camp over the prairie. […] When the conveyance at length drew up to Mr. Thompson's door, the gentleman descended with great deliberation, straightened himself up, rubbed his hands, and beaming satisfaction from every...1873, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], Charles Dudley Warner, chapter XVII, in The Gilded Age: A Tale of To-day, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company, published 1874, →OCLC...
(figuratively, intransitive) To come or go down, or reduce, in intensity or some other quality.
- […] VVinter comes on ſoftly, firſt by colde devves, then hoare froſts, vntill at laſt it deſcende to the hardeſt vveather of all: […]1605, Jos[eph] Hall, “Paragraph 78”, in Meditations and Vowes, Diuine and Morall. […], London: […] Humfrey Lownes, for Iohn Porter, →OCLC, 2nd book, page 199
- Thy glories novv have touch'd the higheſt point, / And muſt deſcend.1619–1620, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The False One. A Tragedy.”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act V...
(figuratively, intransitive) Of a physical thing (such as a cloud or storm) or a (generally negative) immaterial thing (such as darkness, gloom, or silence): to settle upon and start to affect a person or place.
- Death dvvels vvithin vs, and if gentle Peace / Diſcend not ſoone, our ſorrovves to ſurceaſe, / Latium (alreadie quaild) vvill be deſtroyd.1594, Robert Garnier, translated by Thomas Kid [i.e., Thomas Kyd], Pompey the Great, His Faire Corneliaes Tragedie: […], London: […] [James Roberts] for Nicholas Ling, published 1595, →OCLC, act I...
- Hear, Goddeſs, hear, by thoſe oblations vvon; / And for the pious fire preſerve the ſon: / His vviſh'd return vvith happy povv'r befriend, / And on the Suitors let thy vvrath deſcend.1725, Homer, “Book IV”, in [Elijah Fenton], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume I, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC, page 205, lines 1009–1012

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(figuratively, intransitive) In speech or writing: to proceed from one matter to another; especially, to pass from more general or important to specific or less important matters to be considered.
- But this ſubject begins to ſvvell beyond the bounds intended unto it, leſt therefore vvhat vve intended but a Tract ſhould ſvvell to a Tome, vve vvill here deſcend to matters of later date.1655, Thomas Fuller, “The Re-foundation of Waltham-Abby by Henry the Second”, in The History of Waltham-Abby in Essex, Founded by King Harold, London: [[…] Iohn Williams […]], →OCLC, page 11
- He imagined that he had novv purchaſed the privilege of diſcourſe and began to deſcend to familiar queſtions, endeavouring to accommodate his diſcourſe to the groſſneſs of ruſtick underſtandings.1759 August 25, [Samuel Johnson], “The Idler. No. 72.”, in The Universal Chronicle, or Weekly Gazette, volume II, number 73, London: […] R. Stevens, […], →OCLC, page 1, column 3
(figuratively, intransitive) Chiefly followed by into or to: of a situation: to become worse; to decline, to deteriorate.
- The meeting descended into chaos.
Synonyms:

degenerate
(figuratively, intransitive) Chiefly followed by on or upon: to make an attack or incursion, from or as if from a vantage ground; to come suddenly and with violence.
- When moving down against [him] thou descendest against the sleeping man unknowing, let Varuṇa cover me with a golden armor.1893 April, Hanns Oertel, “Article IV. The Jāiminīya or Talavakāra Upaniṣad Brāhmaṇa: Text, Translation, and Notes”, in Journal of the American Oriental Society, volume XVI, New Haven, Conn.: […]...
- I suffer at times from damp snivelling colds in the head, which descend upon me quite suddenly, turning me into a helpless and disgusting red-nosed and red-eyed animal feebly crying for still more handkerchiefs.1934, J[ohn] B[oynton] Priestley, “To the Tyne”, in English Journey […], London: William Heinemann in association with Victor Gollancz, →OCLC, section 1, page 288
(figuratively, intransitive) Chiefly followed by on or upon: to arrive suddenly or unexpectedly, especially in a manner that causes disruption or inconvenience.
- My neighbour descended upon me just as I was walking out the door.
(figuratively, intransitive) To come down to a humbler or less fortunate, or a worse or less virtuous, rank or state; to abase or lower oneself; to condescend or stoop to something.
- He descended from his high estate.
- [I]f (as ſeldome) he deſcend to diſports of chance, his games ſhall neuer make him either pale vvith feare, or hote vvith deſire of gaine.1608, Jos[eph] Hall, “Of the Truly-noble”, in Characters of Vertues and Vices: […], London: […] Melch[isidec] Bradwood for Eleazar Edgar and Samuel Macham, […], →OCLC, 1st book (Characterismes of...
(figuratively, intransitive, poetic) Chiefly in the form descend into (or within) oneself: to mentally enter a state of (deep) meditation or thought; to retire.
- VVhen I deſcend into my ſelf, and contemplat my moſt terrible horrible terribility, I can hardly hold my ſelf vvithin my ſelf; […]1653, James Howell, “The Oration of the Lord George Frederique, Baron of Limburg, and Hereditary Officer to the Sacred Roman Empire, and Allwayes Free. Against Spain.”, in A German Diet: Or, The...
- [He] vvith holieſt Meditations fed, / Into himſelf deſcended, and at once / All his great vvork to come before him ſet; […]1671, John Milton, “The Second Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 34, lines 111–113
(figuratively, intransitive) Of a sequence or series: to proceed from higher to lower values.
- Indefinite numbers I ſuppoſe to be intermediate Numbers lying betvveen finite and infinite: For as vve do not deſcend from 1 to 0 at one Step, but muſt paſs through an infinite Series of Fractions, ½, ⅓, ¼, ¹⁄₅, &c.1715, George Cheyne, “Of the Use of the Arithmetick of Infinites. Corollary I.”, in Philosophical Principles of Religion: Natural and Revealed: […] Philosophical Principles of Religion. Part II. […]...
(figuratively, intransitive) To pass from a higher to a lower note or tone; to fall in pitch.
(obsolete, rare, transitive) To trace (a lineage) from earlier to later generations.
(intransitive) Of a characteristic: to be transmitted from a parent to a child.
- [T]he eternal Mark of having had a vvicked Anceſtor deſcends to his Poſterity; his VVife is deprived of her Dovvry, and all his Deſcendants are made ignoble: […]1713 December 18 (Gregorian calendar), Richard Steele, “December 8. [1713].”, in The Englishman: Being the Sequel of the Guardian, collected edition, number 28, London: […] Sam[uel] Buckley […]...
(intransitive, often passive voice) Chiefly followed by from or (obsolete) of: to come down or derive from an ancestor or ancestral stock, or a source; to originate, to stem.
- The beggar may descend from a prince.
- The Rebels are in Southvvarke: Fly my Lord: / Iacke Cade proclaimes himſelfe Lord Mortimer, / Deſcended from the Duke of Clarence houſe, / And calles your Grace Vſurper, openly, / And vovves to Crovvne himſelfe in VVeſtminſter.1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
(intransitive) Of property, a right, etc.: to pass down to a generation, a person, etc., by inheritance.
- The crown descends to the heir of the previous monarch.
- [I]f the Tenant giue a part of the Tenancie to the father of the Lord in Taile, the father dieth, and this deſcends to the Lord, in this caſe by Act in Law the Seigniorie is ſuſpended in part and in eſſe for part, and the ſame Law is of a Rent charge.1628, Edw[ard] Coke, “Of Rents”, in The First Part of the Institutes of the Lawes of England. […], London: […] [Adam Islip] for the Societe of Stationers, →OCLC, book 2, section 222, folio 148, verso

Noun

descend (plural descends)

(archaic) Synonym of descent (“instance of descending; sloping incline or passage; way down; decline, etc.”).
- [I]t ſhall be good if in your iourney you come to the deſcend of anye great Hil, to light from your Horſes backe, and to vvalke dovvne the hill a foote, […]1607, Gervase Markham, “Of a Horses Labour or Exercise, and how He shall be Ordered when He is Iourneyed”, in Cauelarice, or The English Horseman: […], London: […] [Edward Allde and W[illiam]...
Synonyms:

descent

descend meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

descend in Hindi

to physically move or pass from a higher to a lower place or position: उतरना utarnā

descend in Tamil

to physically move or pass from a higher to a lower place or position: இறங்கு iṟaṅku

descend in Urdu

to descend, dismount: اترنا utarnā
to descend: گرنا girnā

More languagesFewer languages

descend in Bengali: নিচে নামা, অবতরণ করা
descend in Telugu: దిగు digu, నడచు naḍacu
descend in Malayalam: ഇറങ്ങുക iṟaṅṅuka
descend in Kannada: ಇಳಿ iḷi
descend in Punjabi: ਉੱਤਰਣਾ uttarṇā, ਲਹਿਣਾ lahiṇā, لتھنا latthṇā
descend in Gujarati: ઊતરવું ūtarvũ, ઉતારવું utārvũ
descend in Odia: ଓହ୍ଲାଇବା ohlāibā, ଖସିବା khasibā
descend in Sanskrit: ह्रसति hrasati
descend in Assamese: নমা noma, নামা nama
descend in Nepali: उत्रनु utranu
descend in Tagalog: bumaba
descend in Arabic: نَزَلَ nazala
descend in Malay: turun
descend in Indonesian: turun
descend in Thai: ลง long
descend in Vietnamese: xuống
descend in Myanmar: ဆင်း hcang:

Examples of descend in a sentence

The noble prince descended to one knee to ask for the princess’s hand in marriage.
But never tear his cheek descended, / And never smile his brow unbended; […]1816 February 13, [Lord Byron], “Parisina”, in The Siege of Corinth. A Poem. Parisina. A Poem, London: […] [T[homas] Davison] for John...
I saw him descend the mountain with greater speed than the flight of an eagle, and quickly lost among the undulations of the sea of ice.1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter IX, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume II, London...
[T]hese men descend very steep and dangerous cliffs near Seaham Harbour and pick up coal from the shore.1934, J[ohn] B[oynton] Priestley, “To East Durham and the Tees”, in English Journey […], London: William Heinemann in association with...
And the raine deſcended, and the floods came, and the windes blew, and beat vpon that houſe; and it fell not: for it was founded vpon a rock.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 7:25, column 1:

All 40 example sentences with descend

Synonyms of descend

Antonyms

Forms of descend

Verb
third-person singular present	descends
present participle	descending
past participle	descended
past	descended
second-person singular present (archaic)	descendest
second-person singular past (archaic)	descendedst
third-person singular present (archaic)	descendeth
Noun
plural	descends

Past tense of descend: descended

Origin of descend

The verb is derived from Middle English descenden (“to move downwards, fall, descend; to slope downwards; to go from a better to a worse condition, decline, degenerate; to be a descendant, derive from (a source); etc.”), from Anglo-Norman descendere, descendre, and Old French descendere, descendre (“to move downwards, fall, descend; to slope downwards; to be a descendant, derive from (a source); etc.”) (modern French descendre), and from their etymon Latin dēscendere, the present active infinitive of dēscendō (“to come or go down, fall, descend; to slope downwards; to be a descendant; etc.”), from de- (prefix meaning ‘from; down from’) + scandō (“to ascend, climb; to clamber”) (from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to climb, scale; to dart; to jump”)). The noun is derived from the verb.

Words formed from descend

Words that rhyme with descend

48 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about descend

What does descend mean?: Descend means to pass from a higher to a lower part of (something, such as a flight of stairs or a slope); to go down along or upon.
What is descend in Hindi?: Descend in Hindi is उतरना (utarnā). See Descend meaning in Hindi.
How do you use descend in a sentence?: The noble prince descended to one knee to ask for the princess’s hand in marriage.
What part of speech is descend?: Descend can be a verb or a noun.
How do you pronounce descend?: Descend is pronounced /dɪˈsɛnd/ (UK).
What is the past tense of descend?: The past tense of descend is descended.

Words near descend in the dictionary

Last updated: 2026-09-02

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Cite this entry: “descend.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/descend. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.