ENGLISH
REFERENCE

descended

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //dɪˈsɛndəd// UK //dɪsˈɛndɪd// de·scend·ed

v. to move from a higher place to a lower one. You can use it for walking down stairs or for things like planes coming down to land.

v. to move or fall downwards from a higher position. Often used in formal or literary contexts to describe physical movement or a change in altitude.


SIMPLE

The hikers descended the mountain as the sun began to set.

CONTEXTUAL

The aircraft slowly descended through the thick clouds before the runway finally came into view.

COMPLEX

As the evening mist descended upon the valley, the temperature dropped sharply, forcing the outdoor market to close earlier than usual.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

The verb can be used transitively with a direct object or intransitively with a prepositional phrase, usually 'from' or 'to'.

Pitfall

The plane descended down to the airport.The plane descended to the airport.Descended already means to move down, so adding the word 'down' is redundant.

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