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
The haunting Frendo the Clown, which had been previously glimpsed dispatching teens in a potentially supernatural manner, descends on a farmhouse party filled with drunk teens.
—William Earl, Variety, 14 May 2025
Over 12 days, actors, directors, producers, influencers and the like will descend onto the carpeted steps — not just to promote their latest feature film at the high temple of world cinema, but also to turn a look.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 14 May 2025
The climbers were descending a steep gully in the northern section of Early Winter Spire, a pair of rock formations in the Cascades some 150 miles east of Seattle, the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 13 May 2025
As darkness descends, Galapagos sharks circle the ship, flitting in and out of the light in search of a meal.
—Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend
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William Earl, Variety, 14 May 2025
Over 12 days, actors, directors, producers, influencers and the like will descend onto the carpeted steps — not just to promote their latest feature film at the high temple of world cinema, but also to turn a look.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 14 May 2025
The climbers were descending a steep gully in the northern section of Early Winter Spire, a pair of rock formations in the Cascades some 150 miles east of Seattle, the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 13 May 2025
As darkness descends, Galapagos sharks circle the ship, flitting in and out of the light in search of a meal.
—Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 13 May 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 28 May. 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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