declined
declined — verb
- declinedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- declineds3rd person singular
- declineding-ing form
- declinededpast simple
1. to go down in amount, level, or quality over a period of time — for example, whe
to go down in amount, level, or quality over a period of time — for example, when a company's profits get smaller, a person's health gets worse, or the condition of a building becomes poorer.
The company's profits declined steadily over three years.
decline + adverb (steadily)
Priya's health declined rapidly after she caught the infection.
The number of wild tigers in the area has declined by nearly half.
As the old factory closed, the quality of air in the neighbourhood declined noticeably.
- decrease
focuses purely on numbers going down; less about quality
- deteriorate
specifically about becoming worse in condition, not just smaller
- drop
more sudden or dramatic; less gradual
文法句型
decline + adverb (sharply/steadily/dramatically)
decline + by + number/percentage
decline + from + noun + to + noun
用法筆記
This sense is intransitive — it does not take a direct object. You cannot say 'The company declined its profits.' Instead, say 'The profits declined.' The subject is usually a measurable thing: population, sales, quality, health, or condition.
常見錯誤
2. to say no to an offer, invitation, or request in a polite or formal way — for ex
to say no to an offer, invitation, or request in a polite or formal way — for example, declining a dinner invitation because you are busy, or declining to answer a question during an interview.
Theo politely declined the offer to lead the new project.
decline + noun phrase (offer)
When the journalist asked about her salary, Ines declined to answer.
decline + to-infinitive
Satoshi declined the invitation to the wedding because he would be travelling abroad.
The ambassador declined to comment on the diplomatic dispute.
文法句型
decline + noun phrase (offer, invitation, request)
decline + to-infinitive
用法筆記
More formal than 'refuse' or 'say no'. Common in professional and diplomatic contexts. Can be followed directly by a noun (decline an offer) or by a to-infinitive (decline to participate). Unlike 'refuse', it does NOT sound harsh or angry.
常見錯誤
3. to set out the various inflected versions of a word belonging to a noun class —
to set out the various inflected versions of a word belonging to a noun class — such as a person's name, a thing word, or a describing word — showing changes for grammatical job (subject versus object) in languages like Latin, German, or Russian.
In Latin class, students learn to decline nouns like 'puella' through all five cases.
decline + noun (direct object)
The pronoun 'who' declines into 'whom' when it functions as an object.
pronoun + declines (intransitive)
Diego struggled to decline German adjectives correctly until he practised with flashcards.
In Modern English, nouns only decline for number and the possessive case.
文法句型
decline + noun (case/pronoun/adjective)
noun + declines (intransitive)
用法筆記
This is a technical grammar term. It applies mainly to languages with case systems (Latin, German, Russian, Japanese). In English, nouns only decline for plural (-s) and possessive ('s). Distinguish from 'conjugate', which applies to verbs.
常見錯誤
declined — noun
1. the process by which something becomes smaller in amount, less valuable, less po
the process by which something becomes smaller in amount, less valuable, less powerful, or worse in quality over time — for example, a decline in sales, a decline in health, or the decline of a once-great empire.
The decline in tourism during winter forced many hotels to close.
decline in + noun
Doctors were alarmed by the sudden decline in the patient's kidney function.
The decline of the Roman Empire took place over several centuries.
Environmentalists have documented a steady decline in bee populations across Europe.
- reduction
purely about amount going down; no quality implication
- downturn
specifically economic or business contexts
- deterioration
emphasises things getting worse in quality, not just smaller
- growth
increase in size, amount or importance
- improvement
becoming better in quality or condition
文法句型
decline + in + noun
a/the decline of + noun
用法筆記
Usually singular. Frequently paired with 'in' (decline in population) or 'of' (the decline of an industry). The preposition 'in' points to what is decreasing; 'of' points to the thing that is undergoing the decline. Often modified by adjectives like 'sharp', 'steady', 'dramatic', 'gradual'.
常見錯誤
2. a surface or piece of ground that slopes downwards, so that one end is lower tha
a surface or piece of ground that slopes downwards, so that one end is lower than the other — for example, the side of a hill or the slope of a road going downhill.
The path followed a gentle decline through the pine forest towards the lake.
gentle decline (not steep)
Zara lost control of her bicycle on the steep decline and crashed into a bush.
The road takes a sudden decline just after the bridge, so drivers must slow down.
From the ridge, the hikers could see a long decline leading into the valley below.
文法句型
a decline + preposition (in/into/towards)
用法筆記
Less common than 'slope'. Typically describes a natural landscape feature (hill, valley) rather than man-made structures. 'Gentle decline' = a shallow slope; 'steep decline' = a sharp drop.