1.descend的基本意思是“下来”“下去”,可指物体向下降落,也可指沿着山坡、梯子、台阶、树干等表示斜线或斜坡的物体下降。
2.descend可用作及物动词,也可用作不及物动词,用作不及物动词时,常与介词from连用,表示“是…的后代”“从…传下来”, from所接的名词指祖先、祖宗,并不是指父辈。
3.descend是正式书面用语,多用于文学语体中。

descend down (v.+adv.)
向下降 go down; come down
▲descend down
The moon is descending down.月正下沉。
The sun is descended down.太阳正在下山。

descend from (v.+prep.)
1.〈正〉从…下来 go down from
▲descend from sth
He descended from the tower.他从塔上下来。
2.由…传留下来 be passed down from sb living in an earlier time
▲descend from sb/sth
The ring has descended from my great-grandmother.这枚戒指是我曾祖母传下来的。
His family descends from the first French immigrants.他这一家是第一批法国移民的后裔。
This festival descends from a religious rite.这个节日起源于宗教仪式。

descend into (v.+prep.)
向下行 go down into sth beneath one
▲descend into sth
He descended into a cellar.他走下地窖。
The miners descended into the cave to search for the missing climbers.矿工们下到山洞去寻找失踪的登山者。

descend to (v.+prep.)
屈尊或降低人格去从事某种活动或做某事 lower oneself morally to sth or doing sth wrong
〔说明〕 descend to不用于被动式。
▲descend to sth/v-ing
If a prisoner is badly treated he may descend to violence.如果囚犯受虐待,他就可能发展到行凶。
All too soon they will descend to spreading scandal and gossip.过不了多久他们就会堕落到传播丑闻和谣言的地步。
I'm surprised that you would descend to lying.你竟然不顾人格撒谎,真使我感到吃惊。

用作不及物动词
▲S+～(+A)
Another oppressive night descended.闷热的夜又来临了。
Darkness descended too soon.夜色过早降临。
The walk descends sharply.小路下倾得很厉害。
The sun descended behind the hills.太阳下了山。
The sun descended over the western hills.日落西山。
The plane descended through the clouds.那架飞机穿云而降。
用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
Tears descend her cheeks.她泪落两颊。
They descended the slope towards the hamlet.他们顺坡下山,向那个村子走去。

descend, drop, fall, sink
参见drop条。