WordLens

decline

1 of 2verb
/dɪˈklaɪn/
Forms:declines,declining,declined,declined
1

to gradually weaken or worsen in condition or performance

  • His health began to decline after he stopped following his doctor's recommendations for exercise and diet.
  • The quality of the product started to decline after the manufacturer switched to cheaper materials.
  • As she grew older, her cognitive abilities began to decline, and she struggled to remember things she once knew easily.
  • Without proper maintenance, the condition of the historic building began to decline.
Synonyms:
worsen
Antonyms:
better
2

to reject an offer, request, or invitation

  • When asked to participate in the project, he politely declined.
  • When offered a promotion that would require relocation, she declined.
  • When offered the opportunity to lead the team, she respectfully declined.
Synonyms:
refuse
Antonyms:
accept
3

to reject an offer, request, or invitation

transitive
  • She had to decline the job offer because it required relocating to a different city.
  • The manager declined the suggestion during the meeting.
  • He politely declined the invitation to attend the conference, explaining that he had prior commitments.
  • The company regretfully declined the proposal to partner with the startup.
  • Despite her interest in the project, she had to decline the invitation to join the committee due to her already busy schedule.
Synonyms:
rejectpass uprefuseturn down
Antonyms:
accept
4

to reduce in amount, size, intensity, etc.

B2
  • Sales often decline during economic downturns.
  • With the changing weather, the temperature tends to decline in the winter months.
  • The popularity of the product declined after the release of a newer version.
  • Demand was declining as the market shifted toward alternative products.
  • Morale among the employees was declining during the restructuring period.
Synonyms:
moderatenarrowgo downlessendiminishsubsidewaneabatedim
5

(grammar) to inflect or state the different forms of a noun, pronoun or adjective according to gender, number, etc.

transitive
  • In Latin class, we learned how to decline nouns like "puella" to indicate their role in a sentence.
  • The German language requires you to decline articles and adjectives to match the gender, number, and case of the noun they modify.
  • Can you please decline the adjective "grande" to match the gender and number of the noun "casa" in Italian?
  • Students often struggle with Latin grammar because they need to memorize how to decline nouns and pronouns in different cases.
6

(of a celestial body) to descend below the horizon

  • The sun began to decline in the sky as evening approached.
  • As the evening progressed, the moon began to decline in the western sky.
  • From their vantage point on the hill, they watched the sun gradually decline below the horizon.
  • During the summer solstice, the sun would decline to its lowest point in the sky at sunset.