sinking vs descent

sinking and descent both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
sinking	Yes	No	No	No
descent	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, descent is a hypernym of sinking; that is, descent is a word with a broader meaning than sinking:

sinking (noun)	descent (noun)
a descent as through liquid (especially through water)	the act of changing your location in a downward direction
a slow fall or decline (as for lack of strength)	properties attributable to your ancestry
a feeling caused by uneasiness or apprehension	a movement downward
	the hereditary derivation of an individual
	a downward slope or bend
	the kinship relation between an individual and the individual's progenitors