verb

descendre

descend · go down · get off

Aller d’un endroit plus haut vers un endroit plus bas.

The French verb "descendre" generally means "to go down," "to descend," or "to get off/out."

Meaning and Usage:

To go down / descend / come down
This is the primary meaning. It refers to moving from a higher place to a lower place, like going down stairs, a hill, or in an elevator.
Example: Je descends les escaliers. — I am going down the stairs.
To get off / to get out of
It is used to talk about getting off public transportation (bus, train, etc.) or getting out of a vehicle.
Example: Il descend du bus à la prochaine station. — He gets off the bus at the next stop.
To stay (at a hotel, someone's place)
Less commonly, "descendre" can mean to lodge or stay overnight, often implying checking into a hotel.
Example: Nous descendons dans un hôtel à Paris. — We are staying at a hotel in Paris.
To kill / to take down (in slang or figurative)
In informal or slang contexts, especially in films or literature, it can mean to "take down" or "kill" someone.
Example: Le héros descend les méchants. — The hero takes down/kills the bad guys.

Parts of the Word:

prefix "des-" often indicates downward movement or removal
"cendre" comes from Latin but does not have a particular meaning as a word component here; the verb is a whole unit.

Synonyms:

descendre = descendre de / sortir de / descendre d'une marche (to go down)
get off a vehicle: sortir de
stay at a hotel: séjourner, loger

Antonyms:

monter = to go up, to climb, to get on (a vehicle)
rester = to stay (if implying no movement)

Summary:

"Descendre" is a versatile verb meaning primarily to go down from a higher place, to get off/out of transport, and can also mean to lodge somewhere. In informal usage, it might mean to defeat or kill. Its antonym is "monter," which means to go up.