Declined
/dɪˈklaɪnd/
Definitions
3 meaningsTo politely refuse to accept or do something.
/dɪˈklaɪnd/
To refuse to do something.
She declined the offer of a promotion.
💡 Simply: Think of it like saying 'no thanks' to something you don't want to do. Like, if someone offers you broccoli and you don't like it, you decline!
👶 For kids: To say no to something you're offered.
More Examples
I declined to comment on the matter.
He politely declined the invitation to the party.
How It's Used
"He politely declined the invitation to the party."
"The company declined the merger offer."
To become smaller, fewer, or less; to decrease or weaken.
/dɪˈklaɪnd/
To diminish in strength or quality.
The population of the city declined significantly.
💡 Simply: Imagine a hill. If something is 'declining', it's going down the hill – getting less or weaker. For example, the number of kids playing outside has declined.
👶 For kids: To get smaller or less.
More Examples
The company's profits declined last quarter.
Her eyesight slowly declined as she got older.
How It's Used
"The stock market declined sharply."
"His health declined after the operation."
To state the different forms of a noun or pronoun.
/dɪˈklaɪnd/
Grammar: To list the inflected forms of a noun or pronoun.
The students were asked to decline the Latin word 'puer'.
💡 Simply: If you're declining a word in grammar class, you're listing all the different versions of it, like how it changes to show who owns something or who's doing something. (e.g. 'I, me, my')
👶 For kids: To list the different ways a word can be used.
More Examples
In this exercise, you must decline the pronouns.
Grammar class taught how to decline nouns and pronouns.
How It's Used
"The teacher asked us to decline the Latin noun."
Idioms & expressions
decline a call
To not answer the phone or to reject a phone call.
"She declined the call because she was busy."
the decline of something
A decrease or deterioration in something.
"The decline of the Roman Empire."
From Middle English declinen, from Old French decliner, from Latin dēclīnāre (“to turn aside, deviate”), from dē- (“away, off”) + clīnāre (“to bend, incline”).
The word 'decline' has been used since the 14th century, initially meaning 'to bend down' or 'deviate'. Its meaning related to refusal and decrease developed later.
Memory tip
Imagine a polite person politely saying 'No, thank you!'
Word Origin
"to turn aside, deviate"