descent

/dɪˈsent/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈsent/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈsent/ (ame, mw)

descent — noun

  • descentsingular
  • descentsplural

1. The family background of a person, showing which country, culture, or group thei

1.名詞B1
釋義

The family background of a person, showing which country, culture, or group their parents, grandparents, and earlier relatives came from.

例句

Mark can trace his descent back to Irish immigrants who arrived in the 1840s.

trace + descent + back to [time/place]

The royal family's descent from Queen Victoria is well documented in history books.

descent from [person/family] + be documented

同義詞
  • ancestry

    emphasises the line of ancestors; slightly more formal

  • lineage

    often used for noble or long family lines; formal

  • heritage

    includes cultural traditions and customs, not just biology

  • extraction

    used in 'of Italian extraction'; quite formal

文法句型

of + noun + descent

trace/claim + descent

be of + [adj] + descent

常見錯誤

❌He is descent from Japanese settlers.
✅He is of Japanese descent.
💡'descent' is a noun; use 'of … descent' or 'traces descent from', not as an adjective.
❌My descent includes many doctors.
✅My family background includes many doctors.
💡'descent' refers to origin/ancestry, not the whole family history or its members.

2. The act of going from a higher position to a lower one, whether by walking, flyi

2.名詞B2
釋義

The act of going from a higher position to a lower one, whether by walking, flying, driving, or falling.

例句

The hikers began their careful descent of the mountain path just before sunset.

careful descent of [path/mountain]

Passengers felt the plane's steep descent when it hit a patch of strong wind.

steep descent — aircraft context

同義詞
  • fall

    suggests dropping quickly or losing control; less neutral

  • drop

    shorter, more direct; often used for height or altitude loss

  • sinking

    gradual movement downward, often into a liquid or soft surface

反義詞

文法句型

descent of [path/route]

begin/make + descent

during descent

用法筆記

The opposite of 'ascent'. Use 'descent' for the journey down, while 'descend' is the verb form.

常見錯誤

❌The descent up the hill took two hours.
✅The ascent up the hill took two hours.
💡'descent' means going down, not up.

3. A downward-sloping piece of ground, such as a mountainside, a road that gets low

3.名詞B2
釋義

A downward-sloping piece of ground, such as a mountainside, a road that gets lower towards one end, or a set of steps that go down.

例句

The narrow path followed a steep descent through the pine forest to the river below.

steep descent through [landscape]

A sharp descent in the road forced the truck driver to brake carefully.

sharp descent in [road]

同義詞
  • slope

    more general; can be upward or downward

  • incline

    formal term for a sloping surface

  • downgrade

    American English, used mainly for roads

反義詞

文法句型

a/an + [adj] + descent

descent in/to [place]

用法筆記

Use this sense when describing the shape of a physical surface. Compare with sense 2 — sense 2 focuses on the action of going down, while this sense focuses on the surface itself.

常見錯誤

❌The road has a very slope descent.
✅The road has a very steep descent.
💡'descent' already means a slope; do not pair it with 'slope'.

4. The sudden arrival of a large group of people at a particular place, often causi

4.名詞B2
釋義

The sudden arrival of a large group of people at a particular place, often causing surprise or disruption for those already there.

例句

The descent of journalists on the small town overwhelmed the local hotels.

descent of [group] on [place]

Karim's relatives made a sudden descent on his apartment during the Lunar New Year holiday, filling every room.

make a descent on [place]

同義詞
  • arrival

    neutral, general term; no implication of surprise

  • invasion

    stronger negative tone, suggests unwanted intrusion

  • landing

    often literal (aircraft/ship) or figurative arrival

文法句型

descent of [group] on [place]

make a descent on [place]

用法筆記

Often carries a slightly negative or humorous tone, suggesting the visitors are numerous and cause disruption.

常見錯誤

❌The descent of one customer surprised the shop.
✅The sudden arrival of one customer surprised the shop.
💡'descent' for a crowd of people only works with groups, not individuals.

5. A gradual or sudden change from a good situation or positive moral state to a mu

5.名詞C1
釋義

A gradual or sudden change from a good situation or positive moral state to a much worse one, affecting a person's behaviour, an organisation, or a whole society.

例句

The city's descent into crime and poverty shocked the long-time residents.

descent into crime/poverty

Hamza watched his uncle's slow descent into bitterness after losing his job.

descent into [negative emotion]

同義詞
  • decline

    broader; can be gradual and less dramatic than descent

  • deterioration

    suggests a worsening in quality or condition

  • downfall

    sudden or complete loss of power or position

反義詞

文法句型

descent into [negative state]

descent from [good] to [bad]

用法筆記

Typically followed by 'into' + a negative noun phrase. The subject is often a society, organisation, relationship, or person's mental state.

常見錯誤

❌The temperature's descent was sudden.
✅The temperature's drop was sudden.
💡For physical measurements (price, temperature), use 'drop' or 'fall', not 'descent'.