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
In November 1990, more than 3,000 women descended on the sleepy beach town of San Bernardo del Tuyú, Argentina, for what was becoming a legendary event.
—Marta Martínez, NPR, 8 June 2025
But on one March evening, these hulking installations were just a backdrop: Goose, and 1,000 of its most ardent fans, descended on the space for a special event promoting the ascendant Connecticut jam band’s new album, Everything Must Go (released April 25).
—Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 6 June 2025
Things got worse from there as the blowup descended deeper into threats and insults.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 5 June 2025
This marks the first instance of excessive Canadian wildfire smoke descending into the U.S. since 2023 when wildfires worsened air quality to dangerous levels for millions in the northeast.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend
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Marta Martínez, NPR, 8 June 2025
But on one March evening, these hulking installations were just a backdrop: Goose, and 1,000 of its most ardent fans, descended on the space for a special event promoting the ascendant Connecticut jam band’s new album, Everything Must Go (released April 25).
—Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 6 June 2025
Things got worse from there as the blowup descended deeper into threats and insults.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 5 June 2025
This marks the first instance of excessive Canadian wildfire smoke descending into the U.S. since 2023 when wildfires worsened air quality to dangerous levels for millions in the northeast.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend
Cite this Entry
“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descend. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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
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