incline
Americanverb (used without object)
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to deviate from the vertical or horizontal; slant.
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to have a mental tendency, preference, etc.; be disposed.
We incline to rest and relaxation these days.
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to tend, in a physical sense; approximate.
The flowers incline toward blue.
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to tend in character or in course of action.
a political philosophy that inclines toward the conservative.
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to lean; bend.
verb (used with object)
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to dispose (a person) in mind, habit, etc. (usually followed byto ).
His attitude did not incline me to help him.
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to bow, nod, or bend (the head, body, etc.).
He inclined his head in greeting.
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to cause to lean or bend in a particular direction.
noun
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an inclined surface; slope; slant.
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Railroads.
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Also called incline plane. Also called inclined plane. a cable railroad, the gradient of which is approximately 45°.
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any railroad or portion of a railroad, the gradient of which is too steep for ordinary locomotive adhesion alone to be effective.
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Mining.
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an angled shaft following a dipping vein.
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an inclined haulageway.
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idioms
verb
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to deviate or cause to deviate from a particular plane, esp a vertical or horizontal plane; slope or slant
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to be disposed or cause to be disposed (towards some attitude or to do something)
he inclines towards levity
that does not incline me to think that you are right
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to bend or lower (part of the body, esp the head), as in a bow or in order to listen
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to listen favourably (to)
noun
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an inclined surface or slope; gradient
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short for inclined railway
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inclinesimple
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inclinessimple
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have inclinedperfect
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has inclinedperfect
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am incliningprogressive
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are incliningprogressive
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is incliningprogressive
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have been incliningperfect progressive
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has been incliningperfect progressive
Past
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inclinedsimple
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had inclinedperfect
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was incliningprogressive
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were incliningprogressive
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had been incliningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of incline
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English inclinen, from Latin inclīnāre, equivalent to in- in- 2 + -clīnāre “to bend” ( see lean 1); replacing Middle English enclinen, from Middle French, from Latin, as above
Explanation
Something that slopes — that is, something that deviates from the straight horizontal or vertical — can be called an incline. If you like to walk up and down hills, you enjoy walking on inclines. The Latin root of the word incline is inclinare, meaning "to lean." As a verb, the word incline can mean to bend, so you incline your head. It can also mean to be favorably disposed toward something and you can think of it as having a bent for or leaning toward something. If the weather is nasty, you may be inclined to stay home to watch a movie with a bowl of popcorn at your side.
Vocabulary lists containing incline
"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl
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The One and Only Ivan
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Chains
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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:
The stress and emotional aftermath they’re each facing is a tightrope walk … with an incline.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
"I spoke about Paris being a reference point where hopefully we'll see a pretty steep incline in terms of performances," said Doris.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026
The inquest heard it was not possible to know whether the campervan's handbrake had been left off before it rolled down the steep incline.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2025
He also recorded the first “DNF” of his marathon career at the Paris Olympics, dropping out right after the steepest incline on the course.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2025
It doesn’t seem like much of an incline, but slopes feel a lot steeper to your legs and your lungs than they look to your eyes.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Mr. Waterfield inclines toward Hobbes’s “they that have odds of power exact as much as they can, and the weak yield to such conditions as they can get.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
We trudged on, working our way up and down the steep inclines.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2025
Routes such as those served by TransPennine – which leant Hitachi the test Class 802 train – have inclines which require more energy, shortening the overall distance it could travel unaided.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2024
Despite its steep inclines, the path to Yellow Aster Butte routinely draws big crowds, and in places the area shows evidence of intense visitation, so treat it kindly.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 1, 2023
This model was also equipped with built-in lifts and an amorphous surface, so that it could simulate walking up inclines and staircases.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Surveys have shown that men dating women still often feel inclined to pick up the tab for a night out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The Federal Reserve would then more inclined to move toward higher interest rates, which could weigh on economic activity and consumer spending, Abuagla added.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
If you are inclined to put a bid in this time, your starting offer cannot be lower than $19m.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
The Ingalls folk, after all, are warm, loving, American and, as such, inclined to take a road trip.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The Roach grunts but doesn’t seem inclined to contradict me.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
The young woman in the sepia-toned photograph curtsies gracefully, inclining her head and smiling sweetly at the camera.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2022
The sickening realization of the Titanic's imminent fate came when Jessop turned to say something to a fellow stewardess and saw that the "forward part" of the ship was inclining toward the dark ocean.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2022
She would like to see changes, inclining a Senedd creche, the introduction of job shares and an increase in the number of MSs to decrease workload.
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2021
Since then, the pair's paths have diverged, with Appleblim's housier releases inclining more towards the dancefloor, and Shackleton's series of Drawbar Organ EPs offering playful experimentalism.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 13, 2013
When she yanked on it, she pulled him closer, his head automatically inclining toward hers.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
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.
