descent

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

descent — 名詞

  • descentsingular
  • descentsplural

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

1.名詞B1
釋義

血統

祖先或家族的來源

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.

Mark 可以追溯自己的血統回到 1840 年代抵達的愛爾蘭移民。

trace + descent + back to [time/place]

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

這個王室家族來自維多利亞女王的血統在歷史書中有詳細記載。

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

下降

從高處往低處移動

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.

登山者在日落前開始小心地沿著山路下降。

careful descent of [path/mountain]

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

乘客感受到飛機的急遽下降，當時它遇到了一陣強風。

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

斜坡

向下傾斜的地面或表面

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.

狹窄的小徑沿著陡峭的斜坡穿過松林，通往下方的河流。

steep descent through [landscape]

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

路上一個陡峭的斜坡迫使卡車司機小心煞車。

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

涌至

人群突然大量到達

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.

記者們涌至這個小鎮，讓當地旅館不堪負荷。

descent of [group] on [place]

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

Karim 的親戚在農曆新年期間突然涌至他的公寓，把每個房間都塞滿了人。

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

墮落

從好到壞的逐漸轉變

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.

這座城市墮落為犯罪與貧窮之地，令長住居民感到震驚。

descent into crime/poverty

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

Hamza 看著叔叔失業後逐漸墮落，變得越來越苦澀。

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'.