descend

CEFRB2

/dɪˈsɛnd/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To move down from a higher place or level.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    Senses relating to moving from a higher to a lower position.

Examples

  • Americans descend from immigrants, and they are very patriotic.

  • I didn't expect his behavior to descend to such a disagreeable level.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Also pronounced

  • /diˈsɛnd/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. 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.

  2. Of a flight of stairs, a road, etc.: to lead down (a hill, a slope, etc.).

  3. 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.

More examples

In context

  • The noble prince descended to one knee to ask for the princess’s hand in marriage.

  • Let's descend the slope.

  • they descended the river in boats

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

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Question 1 · Quick check

As the elevator began to blank, my ears popped slightly.

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Nearby

Origin

verb

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-I...