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Definitions

descent

[dih-sent] / dɪˈsɛnt /
NOUN
moving down; lowering
Synonyms
STRONGEST
plunge slide
STRONG
coast crash declension declination decline declivity dip downgrade droop drop drop-off fall grade gradient header hill inclination incline landslide precipitation prolapse sag settlement sinking slant slip slope swoop tailspin tumble
WEAK
cave-in coming down falling plummeting plunging sinkage topple
Antonyms
STRONG
ascent evenness increase level rise
WEAK
ascension elevation improvement upgrade
NOUN
line of ancestry
Synonyms
STRONGEST
extraction lineage origin parentage
STRONG
blood family genealogy heredity pedigree relationship
WEAK
family tree
NOUN
deterioration
Synonyms
STRONG
abasement anticlimax cadence comedown debasement decadence decline degradation discomfiture down downfall lapse pathos slump
WEAK
downcome
Antonyms
STRONG
ascent increase promotion rise
WEAK
improvement upgrade
NOUN
assault, attack
Synonyms
STRONG
advance foray incursion invasion pounce raid swoop
Antonyms
STRONG
retreat withdrawal
WEAK
ascent

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The resolution also emphasised that reparation claims "represent a concrete step towards remedying historical wrongs against Africans and people of African descent".

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Her unsteady ascent toward womanhood coincides, hysterically, with the theater company’s descent into chaos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

She has a firm idea about the distinction between two very different theories of citizenship: jus soli, based on soil, and jus sanguinis, based on descent.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

This tension plays out in the storyline of Frendy, a magnetic student of Haitian descent who uses bachata to fit in.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Briony felt her heart rate rise as she began her unwilling descent.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.