Englisch

decline

gb/dɪklˈaɪn/ us/dɪklˈaɪn/
B1 Englisch
~ 2500
Bedeutungen
0 Bedeutungen
Verb B1 action
1

Politely refuse something

To say no to something in a polite way.

Verwendungsmuster: to decline [an offer/invitation/request]
Häufiger Fehler:
Learners may confuse 'decline' with 'deny'. 'Deny' means to say something is not true, while 'decline' means to refuse politely.
Synonyme
refuse (More general and can sound stronger or less polite depending on tone.) | turn down (Informal equivalent often used in everyday speech.)
Antonyme
accept (Means to agree to an offer or invitation instead of refusing it.)
Wortverbindungen
decline an invitation |decline an offer |politely decline
Themen
daily life |communication |core_vocabulary
Beispiele
  • She declined the invitation to the party.
  • He politely declined their offer of help.
  • The company declined our request for more time.
Beispiele für Lernende
  • I must decline your invitation.
  • She declined the job offer.
  • He politely declined my help.
Verb B2 action
2

Decrease in quality or condition

To slowly get worse or weaker.

Verwendungsmuster: [something] declines
Häufiger Fehler:
Some learners confuse 'decline' with 'decrease'. 'Decrease' is more about numbers or amounts; 'decline' can refer to quality or strength too.
Synonyme
deteriorate (Used especially for quality, condition, or performance getting worse.)
Antonyme
improve (Means to get better instead of worse.)
Wortverbindungen
decline in health |economic decline |decline sharply
Themen
health |economy |core_vocabulary |daily_life
Beispiele
  • Her health began to decline after the accident.
  • The company's profits have declined over the past year.
  • Interest in the product is declining.
Beispiele für Lernende
  • My health is declining.
  • Sales are declining this year.
  • The old building is declining.
Nomen B2 event
3

Gradual worsening or loss

A slow process of becoming worse or weaker.

Synonyme
downturn (Often used for economic or business contexts.) | deterioration (General term for becoming worse over time.)
Antonyme
growth (Means an increase or improvement instead of reduction.)
Wortverbindungen
a steady decline |economic decline |in decline
Themen
economy |health |core_vocabulary |finance
Beispiele
  • There has been a steady decline in sales.
  • The town went into decline after the factory closed.
  • He is showing signs of mental decline.
Beispiele für Lernende
  • There is a decline in jobs.
  • The country is in decline.
  • Her health is in decline.
Verb formal B2 action
4

Decrease in amount or intensity

To become fewer, smaller, or less strong over time.

Verwendungsmuster: [something] declines by/from/to [number/amount]
Synonyme
drop (More informal and general for a decrease.) | fall (Common for quantities and prices going down.)
Antonyme
rise (Means to increase in number, amount, or intensity.)
Wortverbindungen
population decline |decline by 10 percent |crime rates decline
Themen
statistics |science |core_vocabulary |finance
Beispiele
  • The population has declined by 5% since last year.
  • Crime rates have declined sharply.
  • Attendance at the event declined from 500 to 300.
Beispiele für Lernende
  • Prices declined last month.
  • The number of visitors declined.
  • Crime rates declined this year.
Grammatik
Grundform
decline
IPA
GB/dɪklˈaɪn/
US/dɪklˈaɪn/
Silben & Betonung
de - cline (2 Silben)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cline)
Wortformen
Noun
  • Base: decline
  • Plural: declines
Verb
  • Base: decline
  • 3rd Person Singular: declines
  • Present Participle: declining
  • Past: declined
Wortfamilie
Forms
declines noun declining verb declined verb
Advanced or less common
declination noun C1
Ausdrücke

in decline

1
/ˈɪn dɪklˈaɪn/
fixed phrase

Becoming worse over time

Getting worse slowly over time.

Beispiele
  • The industry has been in decline for years.
  • Her physical abilities are in decline.

on the decline

1
/ˈɔn ðə dɪklˈaɪn/
fixed phrase

Currently getting worse or less popular

Getting worse or less popular now.

Beispiele
  • Interest in the sport is on the decline.
  • The number of new cases is on the decline.

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