dévaler

rush down, hurtle down

verb deh-vah-LEH Rare

Usage Note

Dévaler describes rapid downward movement — a person running down stairs, a ball rolling down a hill, or a torrent rushing down a slope. It is almost always intransitive with a directional complement: dévaler les escaliers (to race down the stairs). The word has a vivid, energetic quality that descendre lacks.

Examples

"Il dévale les escaliers en courant."

Natural Translation

He races down the stairs running.

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