decline

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

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	decline - change toward something smaller or lower diminution decrease, decrement - a process of becoming smaller or shorter decline in quality, worsening, declension, deterioration - process of changing to an inferior state detumescence - diminution of swelling; the subsidence of anything swollen ebb, ebbing, wane - a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number) 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 declination 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 decay decrease, decrement - a process of becoming smaller or shorter exponential decay, exponential return - a decrease that follows an exponential function
	4.	decline - a downward slope or bend declivity, downslope, declination, declension, fall, descent 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" worsen inflame - become inflamed; get sore; "His throat inflamed" sicken, come down - get sick; "She fell sick last Friday, and now she is in the hospital" 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 drop away, fall away, slip, drop off - get worse; "My grades are slipping" suffer - get worse; "His grades suffered" lose, suffer - be set at a disadvantage; "This author really suffers in translation" retrogress, regress, retrograde - get worse or fall back to a previous condition 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" pass up, turn down, refuse, reject freeze off, spurn, pooh-pooh, disdain, scorn, turn down, reject - reject with contempt; "She spurned his advances" dishonor, dishonour - refuse to accept; "dishonor checks and drafts" bounce - refuse to accept and send back; "bounce a check"
	3.	decline - show unwillingness towards; "he declined to join the group on a hike" refuse react, respond - show a response or a reaction to something 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" wane, go down 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" sink, dip - appear to move downward; "The sun dipped below the horizon"; "The setting sun sank below the tree line"
	6.	decline - go down in value; "the stock market corrected"; "prices slumped" slump, correct come down, descend, go down, fall - move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way; "The temperature is going down"; "The barometer is falling"; "The curtain fell on the diva"; "Her hand went up and then fell again"
	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

2. deteriorate, fade, weaken, pine, decay, worsen, lapse, languish, degenerate, droop Her father's health has declined significantly in recent months.
deteriorate improve

3. refuse, reject, turn down, avoid, deny, spurn, abstain, forgo, send your regrets, say `no' He declined their invitation.
refuse agree to, accept, consent

noun

1. depression, recession, slump, falling off, downturn, dwindling, lessening, diminution, abatement The first signs of economic decline became visible.
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

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

verb

1. To be unwilling to accept, consider, or receive:

dismiss, refuse, reject, spurn, turn down.

Slang: nix.

Idiom: turn thumbs down on.

2. To slope downward:

descend, dip, drop, fall, pitch, sink.

3. To become lower in quality, character, or condition:

atrophy, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, retrograde, sink, worsen.

Idioms: go bad, go to pot, go to seed , go to the dogs.

4. To lose strength or power:

degenerate, deteriorate, fade, fail, flag, languish, sink, wane, waste (away), weaken.

Informal: fizzle (out).

Idioms: go downhill, hit the skids.

noun

1. Descent to a lower level or condition:

atrophy, decadence, declension, declination, degeneracy, degeneration, deterioration.

2. A marked loss of strength or effectiveness:

declination, deterioration, failure.

3. A usually swift downward trend, as in prices:

descent, dip, dive, downslide, downswing, downtrend, downturn, drop, drop-off, fall, nosedive, plunge, skid, slide, slump, tumble.

4. A downward slope or distance:

declivity, descent, drop, fall, pitch.

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

ablehnendeklinierenfallenRückgangsich verschlechtern

κλίνωπαρακμήφθίνω

rechazardecadenciadeclivedescensodeterioro

heikentyäheiketäkieltäytyälaskealasku

refuserdéclindéclinerbaissebaisser

דחההיטהירדנחלשסירב

gyengül

fallfara aftur, hnignahafna

declinaredeclinodisfacimentoindebolirsiinvoluzione

blogėtikritimasmažėjimasmažėtisilpnėjimas

atteiktiesmazinātiesnoraidītpanīkumspasliktināšanās

achteruitgaanachteruitgangafnameafnemenafwijzen

avslånedgangsi nei tilsynke

deklinować

declinarrecusar

падатьснижатьсяснижениеупадок

odklonitizmanjšati se

azalmakdüşmekdüşüşgeri çevirmekgerileme

下降倾斜变坏拒绝衰落

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

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

B. VT

1. (= refuse) → rehusar, rechazar, declinar (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

2. (= refuse) → negarse, rehusar

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.

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.

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

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

(Med) → Verfall m; she went into a decline → es ging bergab mit ihr

vt

invitation, honour → ablehnen; he declined to come → er hat es abgelehnt, zu kommen

(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

2. vt

a. (frm) (refuse, invitation) → declinare, rifiutare
to decline to do sth → rifiutare or rifiutarsi di fare qc

b. (Gram) → declinare

3. vi

a. (power, influence) → diminuire, declinare; (empire) → decadere; (health) → deteriorare
in his declining years → negli ultimi anni della sua vita (of public figure) → negli anni del suo declino
to decline in importance → diminuire d'importanza

b. (Gram) → declinarsi

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

decline

(diˈklain) verb

1. to say `no' to (an invitation etc); to refuse. We declined his offer of a lift. weier, van die hand wys, afwys يَرْفُض отказвам recusar odmítnout ablehnen afslå αρνούμαιrehusar, rechazar ära ütlema رد کردن؛ خودداری کردن kieltäytyä refuser לְסָרֵב मना करना odbiti visszautasít menolak hafna declinare 断わる 거절하다 atsisakyti atteikties; noraidīt enggan afwijzenavslå, si nei til odmawiać يوى خواته كږېدل ناګاره كول، انكار كول recusar a refuza отказываться odmietnuť odkloniti odbiti avböja, tacka nej ปฏิเสธ reddetmek, geri çevirmek 謝絕，拒絕 відмовляти(ся) رسمی اخلاق کے ساتھ انکار کرنا từ chối 谢绝，拒绝

2. to become less strong or less good etc. His health has declined recently; Our profits have temporarily declined. afneem, daal, verminder يَضْعُف، يَخورُ отслабвам declinar klesat, upadat sich verschlechtern svække; forringe; gå ned φθίνω, εξασθενίζωdisminuir allamäge minema کم شدن؛ کاهش یافتن heikentyä baisser לְהִידַרדֵר क्षीण हो जाना slabiti, opadati gyengül merosot fara aftur, hnigna declinare; diminuire 衰える 쇠약해지다 blogėti, silpnėti, mažėti pasliktināties; mazināties menurun achteruitgaangå ned, avta, synkepogorszyć się کم شول diminuir a fi în declin идти на убыль upadať, klesať poslabšati se, zmanjšati se smanjiti avta, minska, sjunka แย่ลง düşmek, azalmak 衰落，下降，傾斜 гіршати; зменшуватися انحطاط پزیر ہونا giảm 衰落，下降，倾斜

noun

a gradual lessening or worsening (of health, standards, quantity etc). There has been a gradual decline in the birthrate. afname, daling, vermindering تَضاؤُل، إنْحِطاط، ضَعْف، إنْخِفاض западам declínio pokles, úpadek der Rückgang svækkelse; forringelse; nedgang πτώση, παρακμή, φθοράdecaimiento, deterioro, descenso tagasiminek کاهش؛ زوال lasku baisse הִידַרְדֵרוּת पतन, क्षय padati hanyatlás penurunan fall declino; diminuzione 減退 쇠약 (su)mažėjimas, silpnėjimas, kritimas pasliktināšanās; pazemināšanās; panīkums kemerosotan achteruitgangnedgang, tilbakegang, fallspadek کاهش declínio scădere, declin ухудшение; снижение pokles padec pad avtagande, minskning, nedgång ภาวะตกต่ำ düşüş, gerileme 下降，變壞 занепад; зниження کمی آنا sự sút giảm 下降，变坏

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, rechazar

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.