Standard Lemma guide

decline

noun · verb · 26 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • dĭ-klīnʹ
  • /dɪˈklaɪn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪn
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 K L AY1 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Downward movement, fall.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The aircraft went into a sudden decline before the pilot regained control.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: descent

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A sloping downward, e.g. of a hill or road.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • After taking a right from that turn a decline will come into view.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A deterioration of condition; a weakening or worsening.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • He has experienced a sudden decline in his health.
  • Educational standards are on the decline.
  • The country's global reputation is in decline.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: descent

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Population decline is a major concern.
  • Town-centre retailers have seen a decline in footfall.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The act of declining or refusing something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To move downwards, to fall, to drop.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The dollar has declined rapidly since 2001.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To become weaker or worse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • My health declined in winter.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To bend downward; to bring down; to depress; to cause to bend, or fall.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To cause to decrease or diminish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To turn or bend aside; to deviate; to stray; to withdraw.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a line that declines from straightness
  • conduct that declines from sound morals

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To choose not to do something; refuse, forbear, refrain.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • On reflection I think I will decline your generous offer.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To inflect for case, number, gender, and the like.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive, usually

Qualifier: adjectives and pronouns

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: declense

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To recite all the different declined forms of (a word): to recite its declension.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: declense

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To run through from first to last; to recite in order as though declining a noun.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To reject a penalty against the opposing team, usually because the result of accepting it would benefit the non-penalized team less than the preceding play.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canadian

Topics: American-football, ball-games, football, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

Examples

  • The team chose to decline the fifteen-yard penalty because their receiver had caught the ball for a thirty-yard gain.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

noun

Meaning 16

a downward slope or bend

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: descent, declivity, fall, declination, declension, downslope

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: slope, incline, side

Narrower terms: downhill, steep

17

noun

Meaning 17

a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: decay

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: decrease, decrement

Narrower terms: exponential decay, exponential return

18

noun

Meaning 18

change toward something smaller or lower

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: diminution

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: decrease, decrement

Narrower terms: deterioration, decline in quality, declension, worsening, detumescence, ebb, ebbing, wane, erosion, loss, nosedive, sinking spell, slippage

19

noun

Meaning 19

a condition inferior to an earlier condition; a gradual falling off from a better state

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: declination

Antonyms: improvement

Broader terms: condition, status

Narrower terms: neglect, disuse, twilight, wreck

20

verb

Meaning 20

grow worse

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Conditions in the slum worsened

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: worsen

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change state, turn

Narrower terms: inflame, sicken, come down, devolve, deteriorate, drop, degenerate, deprive, impoverish, fail, tumble, slip, drop off, drop away, fall away, suffer, lose, regress, retrograde, retrogress, turn down

21

verb

Meaning 21

grow smaller

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Interest in the project waned

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: go down, wane

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: decrease, diminish, lessen, fall

Narrower terms: dip, wear on, drop

22

verb

Meaning 22

show unwillingness towards

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he declined to join the group on a hike

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: refuse

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: react, respond

Narrower terms: reject, spurn, freeze off, scorn, pooh-pooh, disdain, turn down, contract out, regret, repudiate, disobey

23

verb

Meaning 23

inflect for number, gender, case, etc.,

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • in many languages, speakers decline nouns, pronouns, and adjectives

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inflect

24

verb

Meaning 24

go down in value

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the stock market corrected
  • prices slumped

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: slump, correct

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: descend, fall, go down, come down

25

verb

Meaning 25

go down

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The roof declines here

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: drop

Narrower terms: dip, sink

26

verb

Meaning 26

refuse to accept

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He refused my offer of hospitality

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: refuse, reject, pass up, turn down

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: dishonor, dishonour, bounce

History

Etymology

From Middle English declinen, and ultimately Latin declīnō (“to bend, turn aside, deflect, inflect, decline”, from dē- (“down”) + clīnō (“to bend, to incline”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- (English lean). The senses arrived from two separate pathways in Middle English: * The grammatical sense came from Old English declīnian, which was borrowed directly from the Latin etymon. * All senses except the grammatical sense were derived from those of Old French decliner. Old French itself borrowed the verb from Latin.

Across languages

Translations

233 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: западане (zapadane) — downward movement, fall
  • Bulgarian: упадък (upadǎk) — downward movement, fall
  • Catalan: declivi — downward movement, fall
  • Catalan: caiguda — downward movement, fall
  • Czech: pokles — downward movement, fall
  • Danish: forfald — downward movement, fall
  • Dutch: terugval — downward movement, fall
  • Dutch: achteruitgang — downward movement, fall
  • Dutch: afname — downward movement, fall
  • Finnish: lasku — downward movement, fall
  • Finnish: pudotus — downward movement, fall
  • French: déclin — downward movement, fall
  • Galician: devalo — downward movement, fall
  • German: Sinken — downward movement, fall
  • German: Fall — downward movement, fall
  • Hebrew: נפילה (nefilá) — downward movement, fall
  • Hindi: गिरावट (girāvaṭ) — downward movement, fall
  • Indonesian: kejatuhan — downward movement, fall
  • Indonesian: kemerosotan — downward movement, fall
  • Irish: meath — downward movement, fall
  • Irish: meathlú — downward movement, fall
  • Māori: paheketanga — downward movement, fall
  • Portuguese: declínio — downward movement, fall
  • Russian: падение (padenije) — downward movement, fall
  • Bulgarian: склон (sklon) — sloping downward
  • Dutch: afname — sloping downward
  • Dutch: helling — sloping downward
  • Finnish: lasku — sloping downward
  • Finnish: alamäki — sloping downward
  • German: Gefälle — sloping downward
  • Hebrew: ירידה (yeridá) — sloping downward
  • Hindi: गिरना (girnā) — sloping downward
  • Māori: paheketanga — sloping downward
  • Old English: æfdȳne — sloping downward
  • Portuguese: declive — sloping downward
  • Russian: спуск (spusk) — sloping downward
  • Russian: склон (sklon) — sloping downward
  • Swedish: nedförsbacke — sloping downward
  • Swedish: utförsbacke — sloping downward
  • Swedish: medlut — sloping downward
  • Azerbaijani: tənəzzül — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Azerbaijani: geriləmə — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Azerbaijani: enmə — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Bulgarian: влошаване (vlošavane) — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Chinese Mandarin: 衰退 (shuāituì) — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Dutch: verzwakking — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Dutch: achteruitgang — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Dutch: verval — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Dutch: afname — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Finnish: lasku — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Finnish: heikentyminen — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Finnish: alamäki — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • French: déclin — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Galician: devalo — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • German: Abnahme — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • German: Rückgang — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • German: Schwächung — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Hebrew: היחלשות (hekhalshút) — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Hindi: पतन (patan) — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Hindi: अधोगति (adhogti) — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Hungarian: hanyatlás — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Indonesian: kemunduran — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Italian: declino — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Middle English: declin — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Norwegian Bokmål: svekkelse — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tilbakegang — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Portuguese: declínio — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Russian: упа́док (upádok) — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Spanish: declive — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Spanish: retroceso — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Spanish: decadencia — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Spanish: declinación — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Ottoman Turkish: خراب (harab) — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Ukrainian: зане́пад (zanépad) — deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening
  • Dutch: verval — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • Finnish: lasku — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • Finnish: pudotus — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • Finnish: taantuminen — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • Finnish: alasajo — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • German: Entspannung — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • German: Nachlassen — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • Norwegian Bokmål: nedgang — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • Russian: спад (spad) — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • Russian: сниже́ние (snižénije) — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • Swedish: tillbakagång — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • Swedish: nedgång — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • Ukrainian: спад (spad) — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • Ukrainian: зни́ження (znýžennja) — reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity
  • Finnish: hylkääminen — act of declining or refusing something
  • Finnish: kieltäytyminen — act of declining or refusing something
  • Bulgarian: спадам (spadam) — move downwards
  • Bulgarian: наклонявам се надолу (naklonjavam se nadolu) — move downwards
  • Catalan: declinar-se — move downwards
  • Czech: klesat — move downwards
  • Dutch: afnemen — move downwards
  • Dutch: terugvallen — move downwards
  • Dutch: achteruitgaan — move downwards
  • Dutch: vervallen — move downwards
  • Finnish: laskea — move downwards
  • Finnish: pudota — move downwards
  • German: sinken — move downwards
  • German: fallen — move downwards
  • Gothic: 𐌷𐌽𐌴𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌽 (hneiwan) — move downwards
  • Hebrew: ירד (yarád) — move downwards
  • Hindi: गिरना (girnā) — move downwards
  • Indonesian: merosot — move downwards
  • Italian: declinare — move downwards
  • Māori: tauheke — move downwards
  • Māori: tāharahara — move downwards
  • Middle English: declinen — move downwards
  • Old English: drēosan — move downwards
  • Portuguese: declinar — move downwards
  • Romanian: scădea — move downwards
  • Russian: спада́ть (spadátʹ) — move downwards
  • Swedish: sjunka — move downwards
  • Azerbaijani: geriləmək — become weaker or worse
  • Azerbaijani: tənəzzül etmək — become weaker or worse
  • Azerbaijani: zəifləmək — become weaker or worse
  • Bulgarian: западам (zapadam) — become weaker or worse
  • Bulgarian: влошавам се (vlošavam se) — become weaker or worse
  • Catalan: debilitar-se — become weaker or worse
  • Chinese Mandarin: 惡化 /恶化 (èhuà) — become weaker or worse
  • Czech: klesat — become weaker or worse
  • Dutch: afnemen — become weaker or worse
  • Dutch: achteruitgaan — become weaker or worse
  • Dutch: afzwakken — become weaker or worse
  • Dutch: verzwakken — become weaker or worse
  • Finnish: heikentyä — become weaker or worse
  • Finnish: heiketä — become weaker or worse
  • French: décliner — become weaker or worse
  • French: péricliter — become weaker or worse
  • German: abnehmen — become weaker or worse
  • German: zurückgehen — become weaker or worse
  • Hebrew: נחלש (nekhlásh) — become weaker or worse
  • Hindi: पतन (patan) — become weaker or worse
  • Hungarian: gyengül — become weaker or worse
  • Hungarian: hanyatlik — become weaker or worse
  • Indonesian: menurun — become weaker or worse
  • Irish: meath — become weaker or worse
  • Irish: meathlaigh — become weaker or worse
  • Māori: roroku — become weaker or worse
  • Māori: paheke — become weaker or worse
  • Māori: tupuheke — become weaker or worse
  • Māori: māwhe — become weaker or worse
  • Māori: tāmatemate — become weaker or worse
  • Māori: tāromaroma — become weaker or worse
  • Middle English: declinen — become weaker or worse
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: versna — become weaker or worse
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forvitra — become weaker or worse
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forfalla — become weaker or worse
  • Portuguese: declinar — become weaker or worse
  • Russian: ослабевать (oslabevatʹ) — become weaker or worse
  • Sanskrit: भ्रंशते (bhraṃśate) — become weaker or worse
  • Scottish Gaelic: rach bhuaithe — become weaker or worse
  • Spanish: periclitar — become weaker or worse
  • Spanish: declinar — become weaker or worse
  • Spanish: descaecer — become weaker or worse
  • Swedish: försämra — become weaker or worse
  • Middle English: declinen — bend downward
  • Swedish: sänka — bend downward
  • Arabic: رَفَضَ (rafaḍa) — refuse
  • Bulgarian: отказвам (otkazvam) — refuse
  • Catalan: declinar — refuse
  • Catalan: refusar — refuse
  • Chinese Mandarin: 拒绝 (jùjué) — refuse
  • Chinese Mandarin: 回絕 /回绝 (huíjué) — refuse
  • Chinese Mandarin: 屏絕 /屏绝 (bǐngjué) — refuse
  • Czech: odmítnout — refuse
  • Danish: afvise — refuse
  • Dutch: afwijzen — refuse
  • Dutch: weigeren — refuse
  • Finnish: kieltäytyä — refuse
  • French: refuser — refuse
  • French: décliner — refuse
  • German: ablehnen — refuse
  • German: abschlagen — refuse
  • Haitian Creole: refize — refuse
  • Hebrew: דחה (dakháh) — refuse
  • Hebrew: סירב (serév) — refuse
  • Hungarian: elutasít — refuse
  • Ido: refuzar — refuse
  • Indonesian: menolak — refuse
  • Italian: declinare — refuse
  • Italian: rifiutare — refuse
  • Latin: abnegō — refuse
  • Māori: whakanau — refuse
  • Māori: whakahoe — refuse
  • Māori: whakapeka — refuse
  • Norwegian: avslå — refuse
  • Norwegian: avvise — refuse
  • Portuguese: declinar — refuse
  • Portuguese: recusar — refuse
  • Russian: отказать (otkazatʹ) — refuse
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̀дбити — refuse
  • Serbo-Croatian: òdbiti — refuse
  • Spanish: rechazar — refuse
  • Spanish: declinar — refuse
  • Swedish: avstå — refuse
  • Swedish: avvisa — refuse
  • Ukrainian: відхиля́ти (vidxyljáty) — refuse
  • Ukrainian: відхили́ти (vidxylýty) — refuse
  • Azerbaijani: hallandırmaq — inflect
  • Belarusian: скланя́ць (sklanjácʹ) — inflect
  • Belarusian: праскланя́ць (prasklanjácʹ) — inflect
  • Bulgarian: скланям (sklanjam) — inflect
  • Chinese Mandarin: 變格 /变格 (biàngé) — inflect
  • Czech: skloňovat — inflect
  • Dutch: verbuigen — inflect
  • Faroese: benda (orð) — inflect
  • Finnish: taivuttaa — inflect
  • French: décliner — inflect
  • Georgian: ბრუნება (bruneba) — inflect
  • German: deklinieren — inflect
  • Hebrew: היטה (hitá) — inflect
  • Hungarian: ragoz — inflect
  • Italian: declinare — inflect
  • Lithuanian: linksniuoti — inflect
  • Middle English: declinen — inflect
  • Norman: dêclyinner — inflect
  • Polish: odmieniać (przez przypadki) — inflect
  • Polish: deklinować — inflect
  • Portuguese: declinar — inflect
  • Romanian: declina — inflect
  • Russian: склоня́ть (sklonjátʹ) — inflect
  • Scottish Gaelic: claon — inflect
  • Slovak: skloňovať — inflect
  • Slovene: sklanjati — inflect
  • Slovene: deklinirati — inflect
  • Spanish: declinar — inflect
  • Swedish: deklinera — inflect
  • Ukrainian: відмі́нювати (vidmínjuvaty) — inflect
  • French: décliner — run through from first to last
  • French: refuser — American football or Canadian football: reject a penalty against an opposing team
Real reading context

decline in complete knowledge articles