dec
line
Third Person
declines
Present Participle
declining
Past Tense
declined
Past Participle
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:
Antonyms:
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.
Antonyms:
4
to reduce in amount, size, intensity, etc.
- 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.
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.