ENGLISH
REFERENCE

descending

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //dɪˈsɛndɪŋ// UK //dɪsˈɛndɪŋ// de·scend·ing

adj. moving or sloping downwards. You use this to describe things that go from a higher position to a lower one, or numbers that go from largest to smallest.

adj. moving, sloping, or extending downwards from a higher level. Often describes a sequence arranged from the highest value to the lowest.


SIMPLE

The hikers followed a descending path down the mountain.

CONTEXTUAL

The software allows you to sort your files in descending order, showing the newest items at the top of the list.

COMPLEX

The piece of music concludes with a series of descending scales that create a sense of calm and resolution as the volume gradually fades into silence.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From descend + -ing.

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun; frequently paired with 'order' in mathematical or data contexts.

Pitfall

The plane is descending to down.The plane is descending.The verb 'descend' already includes the meaning of 'down', so adding 'to down' is redundant.

© 2026 English Reference