verb no object

1. move or fall downward:

«…から/…へ» 降りる, 下る; 〈飛行機などが〉下降［降下］する(｟よりくだけて｠ go ［come］ down) «from/to, into, onto» (↔ ascend)

e.g. the aircraft began to descend.

(of a mammal's testes) pass from the abdominal cavity into the scrotum.

2. (of stairs, a road or path, or a piece of land) be on a slope or incline and extend downward:

〈丘･道などが〉 «…へ» (下に)傾斜する, 下り坂になる «to» (↔ ascend)

e.g. a side road descended into the forest

e.g. with object : a narrow flight of stairs descended a steep slope.

with object move down (a slope or stairs):

｟かたく｠ 〈階段など〉を降りる, 下る; 〈道などが〉〈丘など〉を下っている

e.g. the vehicle descended a ramp.

come or go down a scale, especially from the superior to the inferior:

｟おどけて｠ 〈人が〉 «…まで/…するまで» 落ちぶれる, 身［品位］を落とす «to/to doing» ; 〈価値･程度などが〉低下する

e.g. three hotels were granted the prestigious five-star status, whilst others descended in quality or maintained their ranking.

Music (of sound) become lower in pitch:

e.g. the chords descended in spectacular style from the upper register to the lower.

(descend to) act in a specified shameful way that is far below one's usual standards:

e.g. she descended to self-pity.

(descend into) (of a situation or group of people) reach (a state considered undesirable or shameful):

｟かたく｠ 〈状況などが〉 【悪い状態に】陥る, (次第に)なる «into»

e.g. the army had descended into chaos.

3. (descend on/descend upon) make a sudden attack on:

〈人･虫などが〉A〈人など〉に飛びかかる, 襲いかかる

e.g. the militia descended on Rye.

make an unexpected and typically unwelcome visit to:

〈大勢の人が〉A〈人･場所〉に押しかける

e.g. treasure-seekers descended upon the site.

(of a feeling or atmosphere) develop suddenly and be felt throughout a place or by a person or group of people:

｟文｠ 〈暗闇･夜･雰囲気などが〉 【人･物に】訪れる, たれ込める(fall); 〈感情などが〉 【人を】襲う «on, upon, over»

e.g. an air of gloom descended on the Democratic Party headquarters.

(of night or darkness) begin to occur:

e.g. as the winter darkness descended, the fighting ceased.

4. (be descended from) be a direct blood relative of (a specified, typically illustrious ancestor):

〖be ～ed from A〗 〈人が〉Aの子孫である, 血統である; 〈物･事が〉Aに由来する

e.g. she is descended from Charles II.

(of an asset) pass by inheritance, typically from parent to child:

｟かたく｠ 〈物･事が〉 «…に» 由来する «from» ; 〈財産･性質などが〉 【祖先から/子孫へ】伝わる, 遺伝する «from/to»

e.g. his lands descended to his eldest son.

Middle English: from Old French descendre, from Latin descendere, from de- ‘down’ + scandere ‘to climb’.