descend
verb uk/dɪˈsend/ us/dɪˈsend/
(POSITION)
B2 [ I or T ] formal下降；走下；降下
to go or come down
The path descended steeply into the valley. 这条路很陡，一直通到山谷。
Jane descended the stairs. 简走下了楼梯。
[ I ] literary（暮色）降临;（天幕）落下
If darkness or night descends, it becomes dark and day changes to night.
- More examples
- She descended the sweeping staircase into the crowd of photographers and journalists.
- A signpost points to a short path descending amongst trees to a footbridge over the river.
- Ahead were clear signs of a path, descending into a valley.
- The main staircase descended into a large, panelled entrance hall.
- The audience applauded wildly as the curtain descended on the stage.
(NEGATIVE MOOD)
[ I ] literary（不好的感觉）遍布，蔓延
If a negative or bad feeling descends, it is felt everywhere in a place or by everyone at the same time.
A feeling of despair descended (on us) as we realized that we were lost. 当我们发现自己迷了路的时候，一种绝望的情绪（在我们中间）弥漫开来。
[ I ] literary（通常指不好的情形）笼罩
If a condition, usually a negative condition, descends, it quickly develops in every part of a place.
Silence descended on the room/over the countryside. 寂静笼罩着房间／田野。
Phrasal verbs
descend from something 从…发展演变而来
to have developed from something that existed in the past
All living creatures are thought to descend from an organism that came into being three billion years ago. 据信所有生物都是从30亿年前出现的一种有机体演变而来的。
C2
to be related to a particular person or group of people who lived in the past:
Her father is descended from Greek royalty. 她的父亲是希腊皇室的后代。
descend into something 陷入
If a situation descends into a particular state, it becomes worse.
The demonstrations in the capital rapidly descended into anarchy. 首都的游行示威活动迅速陷入一种无政府状态。
descend on/upon someone/something 突然造访，突然到达
If a group of people descend on a place or person, they arrive, usually without warning or without being invited.
Sorry to descend on you like this, but we didn't have a phone to call you. 如此唐突造访非常抱歉，我们没有电话，不能提前通知你们。
The police descended on the house in the early hours of the morning. 凌晨警察突然闯进那所房子。
descend to something 堕落成为，堕落到
to behave badly in a way that other people would not expect you to
I never thought she would descend to stealing. 我从来没想到她会堕落到行窃的地步。