decline
Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
-
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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a downward slope; declivity.
- Synonyms:
- hill
-
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
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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
Related Words
See refuse 1.
Other Word Forms
- declinable adjective
- decliner noun
- predecline verb (used with object)
- redecline verb
- undeclined adjective
- undeclining adjective
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” ( lean 1 ); (noun) Middle English declin, from Old French, derivative of decliner
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.
Mullin declined to apologize to Paul for his past comments and, referring to the assault by his neighbor, said "I don't think anybody should be hit by surprise."
From Barron's
The central bank said retail trade, personal services, manufacturing, and business services posted the strongest growth, offsetting a decline in mining.
From Barron's
Every headline could spark a rally or a sharp decline.
From Barron's
The increase was driven by gains at the company’s namesake brand as well as West Elm and Pottery Barn Kids and Teens, offset by a decline at Pottery Barn.
The population decline was driven by a steep reduction in temporary residents, exacerbated by ongoing demographic aging.
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.
