decline
/di'klain/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A downward slope or bend: A physical downward inclination or a bending downward.
- A gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current: A slow reduction in amount, level, or intensity.
- A condition inferior to an earlier condition; a gradual falling off from a better state: A state of deterioration or a process of becoming worse or less powerful.
Verb:
- To go down in value: To decrease in monetary worth or market price.
- To go down: To move to a lower position or level.
- To grow smaller: To diminish in size, amount, or intensity.
- To show unwillingness towards; to refuse to accept: To politely or formally say no to an offer, invitation, or request.
- To grow worse: To deteriorate in condition or quality.
- To inflect for number, gender, case, etc.: In grammar, to state the different forms of a noun, pronoun, or adjective.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- The path followed a steep decline down the mountain. (The path followed a steep downward slope.)
- There has been a steady decline in the company's profits this year. (There has been a steady gradual decrease.)
- The empire entered a period of economic and cultural decline. (The empire entered a period of deterioration.)
Verb:
- The value of the property has declined significantly. (The property's monetary worth has decreased.)
- The road declines sharply after the bridge. (The road slopes downward.)
- Public interest in the scandal began to decline after a few weeks. (Public interest began to grow smaller.)
- She declined the job offer for personal reasons. (She refused to accept the job offer.)
- His health declined rapidly in the final months. (His health grew worse.)
- In Latin, students must learn how to decline nouns. (Students must learn to state the grammatical forms.)
Advanced Usage
"To be on the decline": To be in a state of decreasing or deteriorating.
- The neighborhood is on the decline, with many shops closing. (The area is deteriorating.)
"To fall into decline": To enter a state of deterioration.
- After the war, the industry fell into a steep decline. (The industry entered a state of rapid deterioration.)
Variants and Related Words
Declension (n): In grammar, the variation of the form of a noun, pronoun, or adjective; also, a state of deterioration.
- The first declension in Latin includes many feminine nouns. (A grammatical category.)
- The moral declension of the character was central to the plot. (A moral deterioration.)
Declining (adj): Decreasing or deteriorating.
- He is in declining health. (His health is getting worse.)
Synonyms
- Noun (Decrease): Decrease, downturn, drop, fall, slump.
- Verb (Refuse): Refuse, reject, turn down.
- Verb (Worsen): Deteriorate, worsen, degenerate.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Decline into: To deteriorate and enter a worse state.
- The peaceful protest declined into chaos. (The protest deteriorated and became chaotic.)
Related Idioms
In decline: In a state of decreasing quality or power.
- The old manufacturing town is in decline. (The town is deteriorating.)
Past its decline: Having already passed the worst point of deterioration (less common, often "past its prime").
- The theory was past its decline and no longer taken seriously. (The theory was already considered obsolete.)
Noun
- a downward slope or bend
- a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current
- a condition inferior to an earlier condition; a gradual falling off from a better state
- change toward something smaller or lower
Verb
- inflect for number, gender, case, etc., "in many languages, speakers decline nouns, pronouns, and adjectives"
- go down in value
- the stock market corrected
- prices slumped
- go down
- The roof declines here
- grow smaller
- Interest in the project waned
- show unwillingness towards
- he declined to join the group on a hike
- refuse to accept
- He refused my offer of hospitality
- grow worse
- Conditions in the slum worsened