sestup

Sestup is a noun used in Czech and Slovak to denote descent or downward movement. It can refer to a physical descent, such as moving down a slope or stairs, and is used in geography and hiking to describe a gradient from higher to lower elevations. Beyond the physical sense, sestup also appears in ordinary language to indicate a decline in numbers, value, or status. In sports, sestup commonly denotes relegation, the process of a team moving from a higher league to a lower one.

Related verbs include sestoupit, meaning to descend or go down, and sestupovat, meaning to be descending or to descend repeatedly. The prefix se- in sestoupit signals a reversal from the idea of ascent, linked to the verb stoupit, which means to rise or ascend. The term vzestup, meaning ascent, is etymologically connected as the opposite counterpart.

Usage notes: sestup is a neutral, descriptive term whose exact sense depends on context. In geography, hiking, and maps, it describes physical descent. In statistics, economics, or everyday language, it can describe a decline. In sports journalism, sestup is the standard term for relegation to a lower division. The word is used similarly in both Czech and Slovak, with regional preferences in collocations and phrasing.