descend

Verb

Meaning

To pass from a higher to a lower place; to move downwards; to come or go down in any way, as by falling, flowing, walking, etc.; to plunge; to fall; to incline downward; -- the opposite of ascend.

To enter mentally; to retire.

To make an attack, or incursion, as if from a vantage ground; to come suddenly and with violence; -- with on or upon.

To come down to a lower, less fortunate, humbler, less virtuous, or worse, state or station; to lower or abase one's self; as, he descended from his high estate.

To pass from the more general or important to the particular or less important matters to be considered.

To come down, as from a source, original, or stock; to be derived; to proceed by generation or by transmission; to fall or pass by inheritance; as, the beggar may descend from a prince; a crown descends to the heir.

To move toward the south, or to the southward.

To fall in pitch; to pass from a higher to a lower tone.

To go down upon or along; to pass from a higher to a lower part of; as, they descended the river in boats; to descend a ladder.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Hypernyms

Hyponyms

Phrases with the word

Derivatives

Examples

To pray is to descend with the mind into the heart, and there to stand before the face of the Lord, ever-present, all seeing, within you. Theophan the Recluse

Modern man must descend the spiral of his own absurdity to the lowest point; only then can he look beyond it. It is obviously impossible to get around it, jump over it, or simply avoid it. Václav Havel

There are times when we must sink to the bottom of our misery to understand truth, just as we must descend to the bottom of a well to see the stars in broad daylight. Václav Havel

When people only talk about things they understand then a great silence will descend upon the world. Chinese Proverb

Never descend to vulgarity even in joking. Latin Proverb

It is easier to descend than ascend. German Proverb

Close letter words and terms