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decline
[dih-klahyn]
verb (used with object)
to withhold or deny consent to do, enter into or upon, etc.; refuse.
He declined to say more about it.
Synonyms: rejectto express inability or reluctance to accept; refuse with courtesy.
to decline an invitation; to decline an offer.
to cause to slope or incline downward.
Grammar.
to inflect (a noun, pronoun, or adjective), as Latin puella, declined puella, puellae, puellae, puellam, puella in the five cases of the singular.
to recite or display all or some subset of the inflected forms of a noun, pronoun, or adjective in a fixed order.
verb (used without object)
to express courteous refusal; refuse.
We sent him an invitation but he declined.
to bend or slant down; slope downward; descend.
The hill declines to the lake.
Antonyms: rise(of pathways, routes, objects, etc.) to follow a downward course or path.
The sun declined in the skies.
to draw toward the close, as the day.
to fail in strength, vigor, character, value, etc.; deteriorate.
Antonyms: improveto fail or dwindle; sink or fade away.
to decline in popularity.
to descend, as to an unworthy level; stoop.
Grammar., to be characterized by declension.
noun
a downward slope; declivity.
Synonyms: hilla downward movement, as of prices or population; diminution.
a decline in the stock market.
a failing or gradual loss, as in strength, character, power, or value; deterioration.
the decline of the Roman Empire.
a gradual deterioration of the physical powers, as in later life or in disease.
After his seventieth birthday he went into a decline.
progress downward or toward the close, as of the sun or the day.
the later years or last part.
He became an editor in the decline of his life.
decline
/ dɪˈklaɪn /
verb
to refuse to do or accept (something), esp politely
(intr) to grow smaller; diminish
demand has declined over the years
to slope or cause to slope downwards
(intr) to deteriorate gradually, as in quality, health, or character
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
gradual deterioration or loss
a movement downwards or towards something smaller; diminution
a downward slope; declivity
archaic, any slowly progressive disease, such as tuberculosis
Other Word Forms
- decliner noun
- predecline verb (used with object)
- redecline verb
- undeclined adjective
- undeclining adjective
- declinable adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of decline1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Read: ‘I fear a significant decline in the S&P 500’: Do I sell my tech stocks before it’s too late?
U.S. crude oil inventories posted a bigger-than-expected decline last week as imports fell and exports rose, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S.
"Coral reefs are declining globally, and their recovery often depends on broken fragments reattaching and growing but that process isn't as simple as it sounds," Dr. Lewis said.
After 10 weeks of using the game-like app BrainHQ, older adults showed significant improvements in cholinergic function, a key brain chemical system that tends to decline with age and affects attention, memory, and decision-making.
However, the levels declined quickly once supplementation stopped.
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