ENGLISH
REFERENCE

descending

adj. · n.
US //dɪˈsɛndɪŋ// UK //dɪsˈɛndɪŋ// de·scend·ing
  1. 1 moving downwards (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    moving or sloping down towards a lower place.

    moving, sloping, or extending in a downward direction.

    Example

    The plane began its descending path toward the airport runway.

    Example

    The hikers followed a steep, descending trail that wound through the valley until it reached the riverbank.
  2. 2 sorting order (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Computing

    arranged in a list from the highest number or latest letter to the lowest.

    ordered such that each successive element is less than or equal to the preceding one.

    Example

    You can sort the prices in descending order to see the most expensive items first.

    Example

    The database query returned the results in descending order of relevance, ensuring the most pertinent documents appeared at the top of the list.
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  1. 3 musical pitch (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Music

    moving from a high note to a lower note.

    characterised by a progression from a higher to a lower musical pitch.

    Example

    The song ends with a beautiful descending scale on the piano.

    Example

    The composer utilised a series of descending chromatic phrases to evoke a sense of melancholy throughout the second movement.
  2. 4 the act of going down (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary

    the act of moving downwards.

    the action or process of moving downward; a descent.

    Example

    The slow descending of the sun turned the sky a deep orange.

    Example

    The sudden descending of the mist blinded the climbers, forcing them to halt their progress immediately.
Origin

From descend + -ing.

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