declined
declined — 動詞
- 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
減少；衰退
數量、程度或品質逐漸下降
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.
該公司的利潤在三年內持續下滑。
decline + adverb (steadily)
Priya's health declined rapidly after she caught the infection.
Priya 受到感染後，健康狀況迅速惡化。
The number of wild tigers in the area has declined by nearly half.
該區域的野生老虎數量已減少近一半。
As the old factory closed, the quality of air in the neighbourhood declined noticeably.
舊工廠關閉後，附近社區的空氣品質明顯下降。
- 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
婉拒；謝絕
有禮貌地拒絕提議、邀請或請求
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.
Theo 有禮貌地婉拒了領導新專案的提議。
decline + noun phrase (offer)
When the journalist asked about her salary, Ines declined to answer.
記者問到她的薪資時，Ines 拒絕回答。
decline + to-infinitive
Satoshi declined the invitation to the wedding because he would be travelling abroad.
Satoshi 婉拒了婚禮邀請，因為他將出國旅行。
The ambassador declined to comment on the diplomatic dispute.
大使拒絕就這起外交爭端發表評論。
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 —
變格
列出名詞、代詞或形容詞的語法形式
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.
在拉丁語課上，學生學習將像「puella」這類名詞依五種格變格。
decline + noun (direct object)
The pronoun 'who' declines into 'whom' when it functions as an object.
代詞「who」在用作受詞時會變格為「whom」。
pronoun + declines (intransitive)
Diego struggled to decline German adjectives correctly until he practised with flashcards.
Diego 在正確變格德語形容詞時遇到困難，直到他用字卡練習為止。
In Modern English, nouns only decline for number and the possessive case.
在現代英語中，名詞僅就數量和所有格進行變格。
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 — 名詞
1. the process by which something becomes smaller in amount, less valuable, less po
衰退；下降
數量減少或品質變差的過程
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.
冬季旅遊業的衰退迫使許多旅館關門。
decline in + noun
Doctors were alarmed by the sudden decline in the patient's kidney function.
醫生對病人腎功能的突然下降感到震驚。
The decline of the Roman Empire took place over several centuries.
羅馬帝國的衰亡歷時數個世紀。
Environmentalists have documented a steady decline in bee populations across Europe.
環保人士記錄了歐洲蜜蜂數量的持續下降。
- 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
斜坡；下坡
地面向下傾斜的部分
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.
這條小徑沿著平緩的斜坡穿過松林，通往湖邊。
gentle decline (not steep)
Zara lost control of her bicycle on the steep decline and crashed into a bush.
Zara 在下坡時失去對腳踏車的控制，撞進了灌木叢。
The road takes a sudden decline just after the bridge, so drivers must slow down.
這條路在橋後突然下坡，駕駛人必須減速。
From the ridge, the hikers could see a long decline leading into the valley below.
從山脊上，健行者可以看到一條長長的斜坡通向底下的山谷。
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.