Definitions for declinedɪˈklaɪn

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

de•cline^*dɪˈklaɪn(v.; n.)-clined, -clin•ing

(v.t.)to withhold or deny consent to do; refuse.
to refuse with courtesy.
to cause to slope or incline downward.
to recite or display the inflected forms of (a noun, pronoun, or adjective) in a fixed order.
Category: Grammar
(v.i.)to express usu. courteous refusal.
to fail in strength, health, value, etc.; deteriorate.
to diminish:
to decline in popularity.
to slope or sink downward.
to draw toward the close, as the day.
(of a noun, pronoun, or adjective) to be characterized by declension.
Category: Grammar
(n.)a downward slope; declivity.
a downward movement, as of prices or population:
a decline in the stock market.
a deterioration, as in strength, power, or value.
progress downward or toward the close.
the later years or last part:
the decline of life.

^* Syn: See refuse1.

Origin of decline:

1275–1325; ME < OF decliner to inflect, turn aside, sink < L dēclīnāre to slope, incline

de•clin′er(n.)

Princeton's WordNet

decline, diminution(noun)
change toward something smaller or lower
decline, declination(noun)
a condition inferior to an earlier condition; a gradual falling off from a better state
decay, decline(noun)
a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current
descent, declivity, fall, decline, declination, declension, downslope(verb)
a downward slope or bend
worsen, decline(verb)
grow worse
"Conditions in the slum worsened"
refuse, reject, pass up, turn down, decline(verb)
refuse to accept
"He refused my offer of hospitality"
refuse, decline(verb)
show unwillingness towards
"he declined to join the group on a hike"
decline, go down, wane(verb)
grow smaller
"Interest in the project waned"
decline(verb)
go down
"The roof declines here"
decline, slump, correct(verb)
go down in value
"the stock market corrected"; "prices slumped"
decline(verb)
inflect for number, gender, case, etc., "in many languages, speakers decline nouns, pronouns, and adjectives"

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

decline(verb)ɪˈklaɪn
to become smaller or worse
as house prices decline; his declining health
declineɪˈklaɪn
to politely say "no"
I declined the invitation.; I'm afraid I'll have to decline.
decline(noun)ɪˈklaɪn
a decrease in amount or quality
a decline in church attendance; a city in decline; the decline of the Roman empire

Wiktionary

decline(Noun)
Downward movement, fall.
decline(Noun)
A sloping downward, e.g. of a hill or road.
decline(Noun)
A weakening.
decline(Noun)
A reduction or diminution of activity.
decline(Verb)
To move downwards, to fall, to drop.
The dollar has declined rapidly since 2001.
decline(Verb)
To become weaker or worse.
My health declined in winter.
decline(Verb)
To refuse, forbear.
On reflection I think I will decline your generous offer.
decline(Verb)
To list the inflected forms of a noun, pronoun (and in some languages adjective) for case and number.

Webster Dictionary

Decline(verb)
to bend, or lean downward; to take a downward direction; to bend over or hang down, as from weakness, weariness, despondency, etc.; to condescend
Decline(verb)
to tend or draw towards a close, decay, or extinction; to tend to a less perfect state; to become diminished or impaired; to fail; to sink; to diminish; to lessen; as, the day declines; virtue declines; religion declines; business declines
Decline(verb)
to turn or bend aside; to deviate; to stray; to withdraw; as, a line that declines from straightness; conduct that declines from sound morals
Decline(verb)
to turn away; to shun; to refuse; -- the opposite of accept or consent; as, he declined, upon principle
Decline(verb)
to bend downward; to bring down; to depress; to cause to bend, or fall
Decline(verb)
to cause to decrease or diminish
Decline(verb)
to put or turn aside; to turn off or away from; to refuse to undertake or comply with; reject; to shun; to avoid; as, to decline an offer; to decline a contest; he declined any participation with them
Decline(verb)
to inflect, or rehearse in order the changes of grammatical form of; as, to decline a noun or an adjective
Decline(verb)
to run through from first to last; to repeat like a schoolboy declining a noun
Decline(verb)
a falling off; a tendency to a worse state; diminution or decay; deterioration; also, the period when a thing is tending toward extinction or a less perfect state; as, the decline of life; the decline of strength; the decline of virtue and religion
Decline(verb)
that period of a disorder or paroxysm when the symptoms begin to abate in violence; as, the decline of a fever
Decline(verb)
a gradual sinking and wasting away of the physical faculties; any wasting disease, esp. pulmonary consumption; as, to die of a decline