descend to

verb

descended to; descending to; descends to
1
formal : to become owned by (someone) when the former owner has died : to become an inheritance to
The estate descended to her from her grandparents.
2
: to lower oneself by doing (something)
She was desperate for money, but she would not descend to asking her friends for help.

Cite this Entry

“Descend to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descend%20to. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster