decline
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de·cline
(dĭ-klīn′)v. de·clined, de·clin·ing, de·clines
v.intr.
1. To express polite refusal: I wanted to invite them but I was afraid they would decline.
2.
a. To slope downward; descend: The roof declines at a steep angle.
b. To bend downward; droop: boughs declining toward the ground.
3. To degrade or lower oneself; stoop: refused to decline to their level of behavior.
4. To deteriorate gradually; fail: His health has been declining for years.
5.
a. To sink, as the setting sun.
b. To draw to a gradual close: We made our way home as the day declined.
v.tr.
1. To refuse politely: I declined their offer of help. See Synonyms at refuse1.
2. To cause to slope or bend downward.
3. Grammar To inflect (a noun, a pronoun, or an adjective) for number and case.
n.
1. The process or result of declining, especially:
a. A gradual deterioration, as in numbers, activity, or quality: "overwhelming evidence that fish stocks ... are in decline" (Jonathan Bocknek).
b. A downward movement or fall, as in price.
c. A deterioration of health: the patient's rapid decline.
2. A downward slope; a declivity: the sharp decline of the dunes to the sea.
[Middle English declinen, from Old French decliner, from Latin dēclīnāre, to turn away, bend downward, change the form of a word : dē-, de- + -clīnāre, to lean, bend; see klei- in Indo-European roots.]
de·clin′a·ble adj.
de·clin′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
decline
(dɪˈklaɪn)vb
1. to refuse to do or accept (something), esp politely
2. (intr) to grow smaller; diminish: demand has declined over the years.
3. to slope or cause to slope downwards
4. (intr) to deteriorate gradually, as in quality, health, or character
5. (Grammar) 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 conjugate1
n
6. gradual deterioration or loss
7. a movement downwards or towards something smaller; diminution
8. a downward slope; declivity
9. (Medicine) archaic any slowly progressive disease, such as tuberculosis
[C14: from Old French decliner to inflect, turn away, sink, from Latin dēclīnāre to bend away, inflect grammatically]
deˈclinable adj
deˈcliner n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
de•cline
(dɪˈklaɪn)v. -clined, -clin•ing,
n. v.t.
1. to withhold or deny consent to do; refuse.
2. to refuse with courtesy.
3. to cause to slope or incline downward.
4. to recite or display the inflected forms of (a noun, pronoun, or adjective) in a fixed order.
v.i. 5. to express usu. courteous refusal.
6. to fail in strength, health, value, etc.; deteriorate.
7. to diminish: to decline in popularity.
8. to slope or sink downward.
9. to draw toward the close, as the day.
10. (of a noun, pronoun, or adjective) to be characterized by declension.
n. 11. a downward slope; declivity.
12. a downward movement, as of prices or population: a decline in the stock market.
13. a deterioration, as in strength, power, or value.
14. progress downward or toward the close.
15. the later years or last part: the decline of life.
[1275–1325; Middle English < Old French decliner to inflect, turn aside, sink < Latin dēclīnāre to slope, incline]
de•clin′a•ble, adj.
de•clin′er, n.
syn: See refuse1.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
decline
Past participle: declined
Gerund: declining
| Imperative |
|---|
| decline |
| decline |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  decline - change toward something smaller or lowerdetumescence - diminution of swelling; the subsidence of anything swollen erosion - a gradual decline of something; "after the accounting scandal there was an erosion of confidence in the auditors" loss - gradual decline in amount or activity; "weight loss"; "a serious loss of business" nosedive - a sudden sharp drop or rapid decline; "the stock took a nosedive" sinking spell - a temporary decline in health or value slippage - decline from a standard level of performance or achievement |
| 2. | decline - a condition inferior to an earlier condition; a gradual falling off from a better state condition, status - a state at a particular time; "a condition (or state) of disrepair"; "the current status of the arms negotiations" disuse, neglect - the state of something that has been unused and neglected; "the house was in a terrible state of neglect" twilight - a condition of decline following successes; "in the twilight of the empire" wreck - something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation; "the house was a wreck when they bought it"; "thanks to that quack I am a human wreck" melioration, improvement - a condition superior to an earlier condition; "the new school represents a great improvement" | |
| 3. | decline - a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current exponential decay, exponential return - a decrease that follows an exponential function | |
| 4. | decline - a downward slope or bend downhill - the downward slope of a hill incline, slope, side - an elevated geological formation; "he climbed the steep slope"; "the house was built on the side of a mountain" steep - a steep place (as on a hill) | |
| Verb | 1. | decline - grow worse; "Conditions in the slum worsened" inflame - become inflamed; get sore; "His throat inflamed" degenerate, deteriorate, devolve, drop - grow worse; "Her condition deteriorated"; "Conditions in the slums degenerated"; "The discussion devolved into a shouting match" change state, turn - undergo a transformation or a change of position or action; "We turned from Socialism to Capitalism"; "The people turned against the President when he stole the election" impoverish, deprive - take away fail - get worse; "Her health is declining" tumble - suffer a sudden downfall, overthrow, or defeat suffer - get worse; "His grades suffered" turn down - take a downward direction; "The economy finally turned down after a long boom" |
| 2. |  decline - refuse to accept; "He refused my offer of hospitality"freeze off, spurn, pooh-pooh, disdain, scorn, turn down, reject - reject with contempt; "She spurned his advances" bounce - refuse to accept and send back; "bounce a check" | |
| 3. | decline - show unwillingness towards; "he declined to join the group on a hike" freeze off, spurn, pooh-pooh, disdain, scorn, turn down, reject - reject with contempt; "She spurned his advances" contract out - refuse to pay a levy to a union for political use regret - decline formally or politely; "I regret I can't come to the party" repudiate - refuse to recognize or pay; "repudiate a debt" disobey - refuse to go along with; refuse to follow; be disobedient; "He disobeyed his supervisor and was fired" | |
| 4. | decline - grow smaller; "Interest in the project waned" decrease, diminish, lessen, fall - decrease in size, extent, or range; "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper" dip - go down momentarily; "Prices dipped" wear on - pass slowly (of time); "The day wore on" drop - go down in value; "Stock prices dropped" | |
| 5. | decline - go down; "The roof declines here" drop - to fall vertically; "the bombs are dropping on enemy targets" | |
| 6. | decline - go down in value; "the stock market corrected"; "prices slumped" | |
| 7. | decline - inflect for number, gender, case, etc., "in many languages, speakers decline nouns, pronouns, and adjectives" inflect - change the form of a word in accordance as required by the grammatical rules of the language |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
decline
verb
1. fall, fail, drop, contract, lower, sink, flag, fade, shrink, diminish, decrease, slow down, fall off, dwindle, lessen, wane, ebb, slacken a declining birth rate
fall rise, increase
fall rise, increase
noun
1. depression, recession, slump, falling off, downturn, dwindling, lessening, diminution, abatement The first signs of economic decline became visible.
depression rise, upswing
depression rise, upswing
2. deterioration, fall, failing, slump, weakening, decay, worsening, descent, downturn, disintegration, degeneration, atrophy, decrepitude, retrogression, enfeeblement Rome's decline in the fifth century.
deterioration improvement
deterioration improvement
in decline or on the decline waning, dying, failing, collapsing, crumbling, decaying, on the way out, obsolescent Thankfully, the popularity of bloodsports is on the decline.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
decline
verb1. To be unwilling to accept, consider, or receive:
Slang: nix.
Idiom: turn thumbs down on.
3. To become lower in quality, character, or condition:
4. To lose strength or power:
Informal: fizzle (out).
Idioms: go downhill, hit the skids.
1. Descent to a lower level or condition:
2. A marked loss of strength or effectiveness:
3. A usually swift downward trend, as in prices:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تَضاؤُل، إنْحِطاط، ضَعْف، إنْخِفاضيَرْفُضيَضْعُف، يَخورُ
klesatodmítnoutpoklesupadatúpadek
afslåforringeforringelsegå nednedgang
heikentyäheiketäkieltäytyälaskealasku
gyengül
fallfara aftur, hnignahafna
blogėtikritimasmažėjimasmažėtisilpnėjimas
atteiktiesmazinātiesnoraidītpanīkumspasliktināšanās
deklinować
odklonitizmanjšati se
decline
[dɪˈklaɪn]A. N
1. (= decrease) (in numbers, sales) → descenso m, disminución f (in de) (in support, interest) → disminución f
to be on the decline → ir disminuyendo
to be on the decline → ir disminuyendo
2. (= deterioration) → decadencia f, declive m, deterioro m; (in standards) → descenso m, declive m (Med) → debilitamiento m
the decline of the Roman Empire → la decadencia del Imperio Romano
to fall into decline [industry, town] → entrar en decadencia, entrar en declive
to go into a decline (Med) → ir debilitándose
the decline of the Roman Empire → la decadencia del Imperio Romano
to fall into decline [industry, town] → entrar en decadencia, entrar en declive
to go into a decline (Med) → ir debilitándose
B. VT
1. (= refuse) → rehusar, rechazar, declinar (frm)
to decline to do sth → rehusar hacer algo, declinar hacer algo (frm)
to decline to do sth → rehusar hacer algo, declinar hacer algo (frm)
2. (Ling) → declinar
C. VI
1. (= decrease) [power, influence] → disminuir; (= deteriorate) → decaer; (in health) → debilitarse, decaer
to decline in importance → ir perdiendo importancia
to decline in importance → ir perdiendo importancia
3. (Ling) → declinarse
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
decline
[dɪˈklaɪn] n
(= decay) → déclin m
(= reduction) → baisse f
a decline in sth → une baisse de qch
decline in living standards → baisse du niveau de vie
to be on the decline (= be decreasing) → être en baisse
to be in decline (= be decreasing) → être en baisse (= be deteriorating) → être sur le déclin
to fall into decline (= become weaker) → entamer son déclin
The ship-building industry has fallen into decline
BUT La construction navale est en train de dépérir.
a decline in sth → une baisse de qch
decline in living standards → baisse du niveau de vie
to be on the decline (= be decreasing) → être en baisse
to be in decline (= be decreasing) → être en baisse (= be deteriorating) → être sur le déclin
to fall into decline (= become weaker) → entamer son déclin
The ship-building industry has fallen into decline
BUT La construction navale est en train de dépérir.
vt (= refuse) [+ invitation, offer] → décliner
to decline to do sth → poliment refuser de faire qch
to decline to comment on sth → se refuser à tout commentaire sur qch
The band declined to comment on the story → Le groupe s'est refusé à tout commentaire sur cette histoire.
to decline to do sth → poliment refuser de faire qch
to decline to comment on sth → se refuser à tout commentaire sur qch
The band declined to comment on the story → Le groupe s'est refusé à tout commentaire sur cette histoire.
vi
(= deteriorate) → décliner
(= decrease) → baisser
The population has declined dramatically → La population a dramatiquement baissé.
The market has begun to decline → Le marché commence à baisser.
to be declining → être en baisse
The population has declined dramatically → La population a dramatiquement baissé.
The market has begun to decline → Le marché commence à baisser.
to be declining → être en baisse
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
decline
n
(in standards, birthrate, business, sales, prices) → Rückgang m; (of empire, a party’s supremacy) → Untergang m, → Niedergang m; decline in performance (Sport) → Leistungsabfall m; to be on the or in decline, to go or fall into decline (business) → zurückgehen; (empire) → verfallen
vt
(Gram) → deklinieren
vi
(empire) → verfallen; (fame) → verblassen; (health) → sich verschlechtern; (prices, business) → zurückgehen; (importance, significance, value) → geringer werden; (custom) → aussterben; (popularity, enthusiasm, interest) → abnehmen; (population, influence) → abnehmen, zurückgehen; cases of real poverty are declining → Fälle von echter Armut gibt es immer weniger
(= refuse, say no) → ablehnen
(= slope: ground) → abfallen
(sun) → untergehen; (liter, life, day) → zur Neige gehen (liter); in his declining years → gegen Ende seiner Tage (liter)
(Gram) → dekliniert werden
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
decline
[dɪˈklaɪn]1. n decline (in) (decrease) → calo (di); (deterioration) → declino (di)
decline in living standards → abbassamento del tenore di vita
to be on the decline (gen) → essere in diminuzione (prices) → essere in ribasso
decline in living standards → abbassamento del tenore di vita
to be on the decline (gen) → essere in diminuzione (prices) → essere in ribasso
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
decline
(diˈklain) verb1. to say `no' to (an invitation etc); to refuse. We declined his offer of a lift.
2. to become less strong or less good etc. His health has declined recently; Our profits have temporarily declined.
noun a gradual lessening or worsening (of health, standards, quantity etc). There has been a gradual decline in the birthrate.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
decline
n. declinación; decadencia, decaimiento;
v. declinar, decaer; [invitation, offer] declinar, rehusar, rechazar; [health] desmejorarse.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
decline
n deterioro, (in something measured) descenso; vt no querer, rechazarEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.