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decline meaning and examples

2025-08-22

Meaning

  • Verb (intransitive/transitive): to become smaller, fewer, weaker, or worse; to refuse politely.
  • Verb (intransitive): to slope downward.
  • Noun: a decrease or deterioration in amount, quality, activity, etc.

Grammar and Usage

  • Parts of speech: verb (T/I), noun (C/U).

  • Change in numbers/quality:

    • decline by + amount/percentage: “profits declined by 8%.”
    • decline from A to B: “sales declined from 500 to 420 units.”
    • be in/into decline, on the decline: describe a continuing downturn.

  • Polite refusal (formal):

    • decline + noun: “They declined the invitation.”
    • decline to + verb: “She declined to comment.”
    • Compared with refuse/reject: decline is more formal and courteous; reject is stronger; refuse is neutral/firm.

  • Other uses:

    • Physical slope: “The path declines to the river.”

  • Countability (noun): a sharp/gradual/steady decline; economic/price/health decline.

Common Phrases

  • on the decline / in decline
  • a sharp/steep/gradual/steady decline
  • economic decline / population decline
  • age-related cognitive decline
  • decline to comment
  • decline an invitation/offer

Collocations

  • Verbs + decline: suffer/see/experience/witness/face a decline
  • Adjectives + decline: sharp/steep/dramatic/marked/gradual/steady decline
  • Noun + decline: price/sales/revenue/market/attendance/health decline
  • Prepositions: decline in demand; decline of the industry; decline from… to…; decline by 10%
  • Verb patterns: decline to do sth; decline an offer/request

Examples

  1. Smartphone shipments declined by nearly 6% last quarter.
  2. The company declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
  3. Attendance has been in steady decline since the ticket price increase.
  4. We politely declined the invitation because of a prior engagement.
  5. Analysts warn of a sharp decline in consumer confidence.
  6. His health began to decline after the operation.
  7. The trail declines gently toward the lakeshore.
  8. Birth rates declined from 1.7 to 1.5 in a decade.
  9. The museum has seen a gradual decline in weekday visitors.
  10. She declined the job offer to pursue graduate studies.
  • Decrease sense: decrease, drop, fall, dip, diminish, dwindle, deteriorate, wane
  • Refusal sense: refuse, turn down, reject, pass (on), bow out
  • Opposites (helpful): rise, increase; accept, agree