descend

descendre

Aller d’un endroit plus haut à un endroit plus bas, souvent par un escalier ou une pente.

En anglais simple : To move from a higher place to a lower place, often along steps or a slope.

• We descended the stairs slowly.
• The plane began to descend through the clouds.
• They descended the steep path to the beach.

Comment l'utiliser : descend into something (We descended into the valley before sunset.); descend from something (The hikers descended from the ridge.)

Synonymes : go down, come down

Contraires : ascend

Expressions courantes : descend the stairs, descend a slope, descend into something

descendre

Avoir une personne ou un groupe précis parmi ses ancêtres.

En anglais simple : To have a particular person or group as ancestors in your family’s past.

• He is descended from farmers.
• Their family descends from settlers who arrived two centuries ago.
• Are you descended from anyone famous?

Comment l'utiliser : be descended from someone (She is descended from a family of sailors.)

Expressions courantes : descend from someone, descend from immigrants, descend from something

s'abattre sur, fondre sur

Arriver brusquement, souvent en grand nombre ou pour attaquer.

En anglais simple : To arrive suddenly, often as a large group or in order to attack.

• Soldiers descended on the village.
• Hundreds of fans descended on the small town.
• The attackers descended upon the camp without warning.

Comment l'utiliser : descend on someone/something (A crowd of reporters descended on the house.); descend upon someone/something (Armed raiders descended upon the village at dawn.)

Synonymes : swoop down on, fall upon

Expressions courantes : descend on someone, descend upon something