Decline definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

decline in American English · 1. to bend, turn, or slope downward or aside · 2. a. · 3. to lessen in force, health, value, etc.; deteriorate; decay · 4. to descend ... EnglishDictionary Thesaurus WordLists Grammar EnglishEasyLearningGrammar GrammarPatterns EnglishUsage TeachingResources VideoGuides Conjugations Sentences Video LearnEnglish Videopronunciations Buildyourvocabulary Quiz Englishgrammar Englishcollocations Englishconfusables Englishidioms Englishusage Thematicwordlists English French German Italian Spanish Portuguese Hindi Chinese Korean Japanese Definitionof 'decline'    WordFrequency Share× Credits× decline (dɪklaɪn ) Wordforms:plural,3rdpersonsingularpresent tensedeclines ,presentparticipledeclining ,pasttense,pastparticipledeclined 1. verb Ifsomethingdeclines,itbecomeslessinquantity,importance,orstrength. Thenumberofstaffhasdeclinedfrom217,000to114,000.[VERB+from] Hourlyoutputbyworkersdeclined1.3%inthefirstquarter.[VERBamount] Unionmembershipandunionpoweraredecliningfast.[VERB] ...adecliningbirthrate.[VERB-ing] [AlsoV+to/by]Synonyms:fall,fail,drop,contract MoreSynonymsofdecline 2. verb Ifyoudeclinesomethingordeclinetodosomething,youpolitelyrefusetoacceptitordoit. [formal]Hedeclinedtheirinvitation.[VERBnoun] Thebanddeclinedtocommentonthestory.[VERBto-infinitive] Heofferedtheboyssomecoffee.Theydeclinedpolitely.[VERB] Synonyms:refuse,reject,turndown,avoid MoreSynonymsofdecline 3. variablenoun Ifthereisadeclineinsomething,itbecomeslessinquantity,importance,orquality. Therewasn'tsuchabigdeclineinenrollmentsafterall.[+in] ...Rome'sdeclineinthefifthcentury. Thefirstsignsofeconomicdeclinebecamevisible. Synonyms:deterioration,fall,failing,slump MoreSynonymsofdecline 4. Seeindecline/onthedecline 5. Seeintodecline MoreSynonymsofdecline COBUILDAdvancedEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Video:pronunciationof decline Youmayalsolike EnglishQuizConfusables Synonymsof'decline' LanguageLover'sBlog FrenchTranslationof'decline' Translateyourtext PronunciationPlaylists Wordoftheday:'crystalset' HindiTranslationof'decline' NEWfromCollins! EnglishGrammar CollinsApps WordFrequency declineinBritishEnglish (dɪˈklaɪn ) verb1. torefusetodooraccept(something),esppolitely 2. (intransitive) togrowsmaller;diminish demandhasdeclinedovertheyears 3. toslopeorcausetoslopedownwards 4. (intransitive) todeteriorategradually,asinquality,health,orcharacter 5. grammar tostateorlisttheinflectionsof(anoun,adjective,orpronoun),or(ofanoun,adjective,orpronoun)tobeinflectedfornumber,case,orgenderCompareconjugate(sense1) noun6. gradualdeteriorationorloss 7. amovementdownwardsortowardssomethingsmaller;diminution 8. adownwardslope;declivity 9. archaic anyslowlyprogressivedisease,suchastuberculosis CollinsEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Derivedformsdeclinable(deˈclinable)adjective decliner(deˈcliner)noun WordoriginC14:fromOldFrenchdeclinertoinflect,turnaway,sink,fromLatindēclīnāretobendaway,inflectgrammatically WordFrequency declineinAmericanEnglish (diˈklaɪn ;dɪˈklaɪn ) verbintransitiveWordforms:deˈclinedordeˈclining1.  tobend,turn,orslopedownwardoraside 2. a.  tosink,asthesettingsun b.  toapproachtheend;wane thedayisdeclining 3.  tolesseninforce,health,value,etc.;deteriorate;decay 4.  todescendtobehaviorthatisbaseorimmoral 5.  torefusetoacceptordosomething,esp.inawaythatisformallypolite verbtransitive6.  tocausetobendorslopedownwardoraside 7.  torefuse,esp.inaformallypoliteway Imustdeclineyouroffer 8. Grammar toinflect(anoun,pronoun,oradjective)systematically,givingitsdifferentforms accordingtocase,number,andgender noun9.  adecliningorbecomingless,smaller,etc.;decay 10.  afailingofhealth,etc. 11.  aperiodofdecline 12.  thelastpart thedeclineoflife 13. Archaic awastingdisease 14.  adownwardslope SYNONYMYNOTE:declineimpliescourtesyinexpressingone'snonacceptanceofaninvitation,proposal,etc. [hedeclinedthenomination];refuse1isamoredirect,sometimesevenbluntterm,implyinganemphaticdenialofarequest, demand,etc.[torefuseapersonmoney];rejectstressesanegativeorantagonisticattitudeandimpliespositiverefusaltoaccept, use,believe,etc.[theyrejectedthedamagedgoods];repudiateimpliesthedisowning,disavowal,orcastingoffwithcondemnationofapersonor thingashavingnoauthority,worth,validity,truth,etc.[torepudiatetheclaimsoffaithhealers];tospurnistorefuseorrejectwithcontemptordisdain[shespurnedhisattentions]OPPOSITE: accept Webster’sNewWorldCollegeDictionary,4thEdition.Copyright©2010by HoughtonMifflinHarcourt.Allrightsreserved. Derivedformsdecliner(deˈcliner) noun WordoriginMEdeclinen