declines
declines — verb
- declinebase form
- declinesthird person singular present
- decliningpresent participle
- declinedpast tense / past participle
- declineses3rd person singular
- declinesing-ing form
- declinesedpast simple
1. to become smaller in amount, number, or quality over a period of time
to become smaller in amount, number, or quality over a period of time
Sales of electric cars declined sharply after the government changed the tax rules.
decline + adverb (sharply)
The population of the village has declined by nearly thirty percent since 2010.
decline + by + amount
Stefan noticed that his interest in online games declined as he started playing football.
As the flood waters finally declined, the rescue team reached the flooded houses.
Air quality in the city declined rapidly during the summer heat wave.
文法句型
decline + adverb (sharply/rapidly/steadily)
decline + by + amount
用法筆記
This sense is always intransitive. Subject is typically a measurable quantity (sales, population, quality, temperature, prices).
常見錯誤
2. to say politely that you will not accept an invitation, offer, or request
to say politely that you will not accept an invitation, offer, or request
Reema declined the invitation to the wedding because she had another event that day.
decline + noun phrase (an invitation)
The CEO declined to comment on the rumoured merger during the press conference.
decline + to-infinitive
When offered a second helping of dessert, Selim politely declined with a smile.
The famous author declined several interview requests while finishing her new novel.
Liang declined the board's offer of a promotion, preferring to stay in his current job.
文法句型
decline + noun phrase (an offer/an invitation)
decline + to-infinitive
decline (no object)
用法筆記
More formal than 'refuse' or 'say no'. Common in business and official contexts. When the object is a to-infinitive clause, the meaning is 'say you will not do something'.
常見錯誤
3. to show the full set of case endings that a language applies to nouns, pronouns,
to show the full set of case endings that a language applies to nouns, pronouns, or adjectives depending on their function in a sentence
In Latin class, the students learned how to decline nouns of the first declension.
decline + noun phrase (nouns)
Asher found it challenging to decline adjectives correctly in German because of the four cases.
The grammar textbook shows how to decline the definite article for each gender and case.
Learners of Russian must memorise how to decline pronouns for all six grammatical cases.
文法句型
decline + noun phrase (a noun / a pronoun / an adjective)
用法筆記
This is a technical linguistic term. To decline a word means to list or apply its inflectional forms. Not all languages have declension systems — it mainly applies to languages like Latin, German, Russian, and Greek. The corresponding noun form is 'declension'.
常見錯誤
declines — noun
- declinesingular
- declinesplural
1. the situation in which the size, value, or power of something gradually becomes
the situation in which the size, value, or power of something gradually becomes less
The decline of the manufacturing sector led to widespread job losses across the region.
decline + of + noun phrase
There has been a steady decline in young people reading printed newspapers.
a decline + in + noun phrase
The company's profits showed a sharp decline during the economic downturn last year.
Doctors are worried about the decline in physical activity among primary school children.
The decline in air quality forced the government to introduce new pollution limits.
文法句型
a decline + in + noun phrase
a decline + of + amount
用法筆記
Usually used in the singular with 'a' or 'the'. Often followed by 'in' to specify what is decreasing.
常見錯誤
2. the state in which a person's body or mind gradually loses its normal strength,
the state in which a person's body or mind gradually loses its normal strength, often due to illness or advanced age
After his wife passed away, James noticed a rapid decline in his grandfather's health.
a decline in health
The patient's mental decline has been slow but noticeable over the past two years.
mental decline
Regular exercise can slow the physical decline that often comes with old age.
The doctor explained that some memory decline is a normal part of the aging process.
Tamar's family watched her mother's gentle decline and tried to keep her comfortable at home.
- deterioration
more formal; suggests a worsening condition
- weakening
less formal; focuses on loss of strength
- improvement
the process of becoming healthier or stronger
- recovery
a return to good health after illness
文法句型
decline + in + noun (health/memory/strength)
physical decline
mental decline
cognitive decline
用法筆記
Commonly paired with 'health', 'physical', 'mental', or 'cognitive' before 'decline'. Often describes a gradual process, but can also describe a rapid one when caused by illness.
3. a downward slope on a surface where the ground drops to a lower level
a downward slope on a surface where the ground drops to a lower level
The hiking trail follows a gentle decline through the pine forest down to the lake.
a gentle decline
Ravindra stopped at the top of the steep decline and checked his bicycle brakes carefully.
a steep decline
From the ridge, the land runs in a long decline toward the river valley below.
The car rolled forward on the slight decline and bumped gently into the garden gate.
文法句型
a decline + in + location
a gentle/steep decline
用法筆記
This literal, geographical sense is less common than the metaphorical senses. Use 'slope' or 'descent' for more everyday conversation about sloping ground.