incline

[ verb in-klahyn; noun in-klahyn, in-klahyn ]

/ verb ɪnˈklaɪn; noun ˈɪn klaɪn, ɪnˈklaɪn /

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR incline ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), in·clined, in·clin·ing.

to deviate from the vertical or horizontal; slant.

to have a mental tendency, preference, etc.; be disposed: We incline to rest and relaxation these days.

to tend, in a physical sense; approximate: The flowers incline toward blue.

to tend in character or in course of action: a political philosophy that inclines toward the conservative.

to lean; bend.

verb (used with object), in·clined, in·clin·ing.

to dispose (a person) in mind, habit, etc. (usually followed by to): His attitude did not incline me to help him.

to bow, nod, or bend (the head, body, etc.): He inclined his head in greeting.

to cause to lean or bend in a particular direction.

noun

an inclined surface; slope; slant.

Railroads.

Also called inclined plane, incline plane. a cable railroad, the gradient of which is approximately 45°.
any railroad or portion of a railroad, the gradient of which is too steep for ordinary locomotive adhesion alone to be effective.

Mining.

an angled shaft following a dipping vein.
an inclined haulageway.

Nearby words

inclasp, inclement, inclinable, inclination, inclinatory, incline, inclined, inclined plane, inclined railway, inclined to, inclining

Idioms

incline one's ear, to listen, especially willingly or favorably: to incline one's ear to another's plea.

Origin of incline

1300–50; Middle English inclinen < Latin inclīnāre, equivalent to in- in-² + -clīnāre to bend (see lean¹); replacing Middle English enclinen < Middle French < Latin, as above

SYNONYMS FOR incline

1 lean, slope, rise, fall, pitch.

2 tend, lean.

3, 4 verge, veer.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR incline ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

in·clin·er, nouno·ver·in·cline, verb, o·ver·in·clined, o·ver·in·clin·ing.re·in·cline, verb, re·in·clined, re·in·clin·ing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for incline

Unnervingly, several Turkish tanks in a 30-strong formation on the side of an incline have their guns pointing into Turkey.
Turkish President Kisses Off Kurds Under Siege By ISIS|Jamie Dettmer|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead, try Hollywood Road for gorgeous local treasures and even a tasteful Mao head if you so incline.
Gal With a Suitcase|Jolie Hunt|January 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST
However, in their last moments we incline rather to praise Nikias than to blame Crassus.
Plutarch's Lives Volume III.|Plutarch
Thrust the closed end of an empty test-tube into water, and incline the tube.
Six Lectures on Light|John Tyndall

Or had her heart come to incline toward him despite the supposed gulf of bloodshed that parted them?
A Gentleman Player|Robert Neilson Stephens
The words shaft, incline, and tunnel have been handled with careless meanings by mining men.
The Business of Mining|Arthur J. Hoskin
They are not very good novels; they incline to sentimental melodrama.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind|Herbert George Wells

British Dictionary definitions for incline

incline

verb (ɪnˈklaɪn)

to deviate or cause to deviate from a particular plane, esp a vertical or horizontal plane; slope or slant

(when tr, may take an infinitive) 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

to bend or lower (part of the body, esp the head), as in a bow or in order to listen

incline one's ear to listen favourably (to)

noun (ˈɪnklaɪn, ɪnˈklaɪn)

an inclined surface or slope; gradient

short for inclined railway

Derived Forms

incliner, noun

Word Origin for incline

C13: from Latin inclīnāre to cause to lean, from clīnāre to bend; see lean 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

incline

verb (used with object), in·clined, in·clin·ing.

verb (used with object), in·clined, in·clin·ing.

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of incline

SYNONYMS FOR incline

Related forms

Examples from the Web for incline

British Dictionary definitions for incline

incline

verb (ɪnˈklaɪn)

noun (ˈɪnklaɪn, ɪnˈklaɪn)

Derived Forms

Word Origin for incline