decline
Americanverb (used with object)
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declines,
present (3rd person singular)
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declined,
past participle, past
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declining
present participle
-
to withhold or deny consent to do, enter into or upon, etc.; refuse.
He declined to say more about it.
- Synonyms:
- reject
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to express inability or reluctance to accept; refuse with courtesy.
to decline an invitation; to decline an offer.
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to cause to slope or incline downward.
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Grammar.
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to inflect (a noun, pronoun, or adjective), as Latin puella, declined puella, puellae, puellae, puellam, puella in the five cases of the singular.
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to recite or display all or some subset of the inflected forms of a noun, pronoun, or adjective in a fixed order.
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verb (used without object)
-
declines,
present (3rd person singular)
-
declined,
past participle, past
-
declining
present participle
-
to express courteous refusal; refuse.
We sent him an invitation but he declined.
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to bend or slant down; slope downward; descend.
The hill declines to the lake.
- Antonyms:
- rise
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(of pathways, routes, objects, etc.) to follow a downward course or path.
The sun declined in the skies.
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to draw toward the close, as the day.
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to fail in strength, vigor, character, value, etc.; deteriorate.
- Synonyms:
- languish, diminish, weaken, decay, degenerate
- Antonyms:
- improve
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to fail or dwindle; sink or fade away.
to decline in popularity.
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to descend, as to an unworthy level; stoop.
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Grammar. to be characterized by declension.
noun
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declines
plural
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a downward slope; declivity.
- Synonyms:
- hill
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a downward movement, as of prices or population; diminution.
a decline in the stock market.
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a failing or gradual loss, as in strength, character, power, or value; deterioration.
the decline of the Roman Empire.
- Synonyms:
- enfeeblement, degeneration, retrogression
-
a gradual deterioration of the physical powers, as in later life or in disease.
After his seventieth birthday he went into a decline.
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progress downward or toward the close, as of the sun or the day.
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the later years or last part.
He became an editor in the decline of his life.
verb
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to refuse to do or accept (something), esp politely
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(intr) to grow smaller; diminish
demand has declined over the years
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to slope or cause to slope downwards
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(intr) to deteriorate gradually, as in quality, health, or character
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grammar to state or list the inflections of (a noun, adjective, or pronoun), or (of a noun, adjective, or pronoun) to be inflected for number, case, or gender Compare conjugate
noun
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gradual deterioration or loss
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a movement downwards or towards something smaller; diminution
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a downward slope; declivity
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archaic any slowly progressive disease, such as tuberculosis
Synonym Usage
See refuse 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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declinernoun
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redeclineverb
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predeclineverb (used with object)
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declinableadjective
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undeclinedadjective
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undecliningadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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declinesimple
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declinessimple
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have declinedperfect
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has declinedperfect
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am decliningprogressive
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are decliningprogressive
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is decliningprogressive
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have been decliningperfect progressive
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has been decliningperfect progressive
Past
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declinedsimple
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had declinedperfect
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was decliningprogressive
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were decliningprogressive
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had been decliningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of decline
First recorded in 1275–1325; (verb) Middle English declinen, from Old French: “to inflect, turn aside, sink,” from Latin dēclīnāre “to slope, incline, bend”; compare Greek klī́nein “to lean” ( see lean 1); (noun) Middle English declin, from Old French, derivative of decliner
Explanation
When something declines, it goes downhill. If you stop working out, your health may decline. If you want it to improve, you should start climbing inclines instead of coasting down declines. The verb decline means refuse to accept, but the noun decline means a downward slope (the opposite of an incline), or a decrease in quality. At the gym, the treadmill has an incline button to control how steep your climb is. Sadly, there's no button for decline, which would be much easier. Both words contain cline, or "to bend." The prefix tells you which way the bend goes. Decline implies a going, or turning, down.
Vocabulary lists containing decline
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Scottish MP Graeme Downie said the UK should "manage the decline of the North Sea in a way that protects workers, supports communities and builds the industries that will power Britain's future".
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
With emigration from East Asia, Europe and Latin America set to decline, Africa will be America’s main source of labor—especially once South Asia’s population begins to shrink by the second half of the 21st century.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
His comments came after the U.S. reported an unexpected decline in jobs for July and slowing pay growth.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
The government has attributed the decline to better coordination between state and federal law enforcement officials.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
Pushing the steering wheel away from him, he put the car into a gliding decline.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
“The Court declines to draw lines between these terms.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Gains in cereal, sugar and vegetable oils outweighed declines in meat and dairy prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
As well as falls in local government education the were also declines in retail roles, including in wholesale stores, hypermarkets, gas stations and general mechanise shops.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
The executor typically accepts or declines the appointment after the “testator” dies and the probate court opens administration of the estate.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
If we drop the uranium ore into a heavy lead canister, the count rate declines substantially; the lead has absorbed the uranium radiation.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
The department referred questions to the city attorney’s office; a spokesperson said the city had not been served with a lawsuit on the incident and declined to comment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The S&P 500 fell 0.1% and the Nasdaq declined 0.3%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Following European contact in the 15th century, Indigenous populations across the Americas declined dramatically because of disease, famine, violence, conflict and the rapid loss of genetic diversity.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
The employment-to-population ratio declined, while nominal wage growth is slowing.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
By this argument, belief in demonic magic ought not to have declined until there was a general improvement in living standards, and perhaps not until the development of the welfare state.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
What struck you about their strategy to address declining pet ownership?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The percentage of Americans who frequently interact with their neighbors is declining.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Pet populations are declining and may stay that way while at the same time the space is seeing more competition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
A declining share of people who are ready to work presents a challenge for long-term economic growth, said Cory Stahle, senior economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Atticus Finch had watched Henry’s ragged pursuit of his daughter with benign objectivity, giving advice when asked for it, but absolutely declining to become involved.
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
