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to decline

to decline

3 3.4
To slope downward toward a lower level
  • verb
  • /dɪˈklaɪn/
translation icon : descender
  • The roof of the building declines at a sharp angle, allowing rainwater to run off easily.
  • incline and decline
  • gradually decline

Examples

  • The loss of the Ford plant caused the Assembly Square area ("Site") to decline, leaving a vast complex of empty buildings along Mystic and Middlesex Avenues.

    Academic text (2001)
  • There was only faint light from the window, and he could see the bright beacon of Jupiter declining to the western horizon.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Imagine climbing to a tabletop mountain and then walking along its gently declining top.

    Blog text (9)
  • Forest cover and tree species richness decline to the west, as the luxuriant forests of the Southeast shift gradually toward mixed forests and grasslands, and ultimately to pure grasslands.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The path declines steeply toward the riverbank, making it difficult to walk.

  • As the sun sets, the landscape declines into shadows, creating a beautiful twilight.

Synonyms

to fall
vsto decline
1.0

Become less in number or amount

applies to a physical object leaning downward rather than abstract reduction
to drop
vsto decline
1.0

To fall to a lower amount or level

relates to a physical tilt of an object rather than numeric change
to go down
vsto decline
321 1.9

To become less in amount, size, or value

concerns the physical angle of an object rather than quantity changes
to come down
vsto decline
221 2.8

To become lower, for example temperature or prices

is limited to a physical object angled downward rather than general movement
to slip
vsto decline
184 3.5

To become worse or fall to a lower level

refers to an object leaning downward rather than a change in quality
to descend
vsto decline
150 2.7

Move from a higher to a lower place

focuses on a stationary object tilted downward rather than travel or motion
to fall off
vsto decline
49 2.6

Become less in number, amount, or quality

is concerned with a surface or object that slopes downward physically
to dip
vsto decline
41 2.7

To move down at an angle

describes a continuous fixed tilt of an object rather than a short drop
to slope
vsto decline
29 1.7

To lean or slant so one side is higher than the other

is about a surface angled downward rather than other changes
to drop off
vsto decline
21 3.5

To become less in number or amount

is about a fixed object angled downward rather than numerical decreases
to fall away
vsto decline
19 4.3

To become less in amount or quality

focuses on the shape of a surface sloping downward rather than amount change
to drop away
vsto decline
2 3.3

To become less over time

concerns a physical object tilted downward rather than a steady standard drop
to incline
vsto decline
1 3.9

To slope up or down at an angle

is specifically about a surface that leans downward not just any angle
descending
vsto decline
3.2

Moving down from a higher to a lower position

is about a fixed object leaning downward rather than active movement
falling
vsto decline
1.8

Becoming lower in amount or value

is about a permanent physical tilt rather than gradual amount change
decreasing
vsto decline
2.3

Becoming less in number, size, or strength

concerns a physical object angled downward rather than a general reduction

Antonyms

718 1.0

To move upward into the air, like smoke or mist

54 4.0

To move upward to a higher place, for example up a hill or into the sky

Compounds

A fall in how good something is over time

How Steep

to plunge
83 3.8
to decline
3 3.4
to slope
29 1.7
to slant
25 3.7
to tilt
147 2.0

Surface Forms

decline infinitive
declined past
declined past participle
declining present participle
declines third person singular

Etymology

Decline comes from de- 'down' and clinare 'to bend', so it literally means 'to bend down'. That is why to decline can describe a surface or object that slopes downward.