decline
gb/dɪklˈaɪn/ us/dɪklˈaɪn/
B1
Anglais
~ 2500
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
B1
action
1
Politely refuse something
To say no to something in a polite way.
Schéma d’usage :
to decline [an offer/invitation/request]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse 'decline' with 'deny'. 'Deny' means to say something is not true, while 'decline' means to refuse politely.
Synonymes
refuse (More general and can sound stronger or less polite depending on tone.)
|
turn down (Informal equivalent often used in everyday speech.)
Antonymes
accept (Means to agree to an offer or invitation instead of refusing it.)
Collocations
decline an invitation
|decline an offer
|politely decline
Thèmes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She declined the invitation to the party.
- He politely declined their offer of help.
- The company declined our request for more time.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I must decline your invitation.
- She declined the job offer.
- He politely declined my help.
Verbe
B2
action
2
Decrease in quality or condition
To slowly get worse or weaker.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] declines
Erreur fréquente :
Some learners confuse 'decline' with 'decrease'. 'Decrease' is more about numbers or amounts; 'decline' can refer to quality or strength too.
Synonymes
deteriorate (Used especially for quality, condition, or performance getting worse.)
Antonymes
improve (Means to get better instead of worse.)
Collocations
decline in health
|economic decline
|decline sharply
Thèmes
health
|economy
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Exemples
- Her health began to decline after the accident.
- The company's profits have declined over the past year.
- Interest in the product is declining.
Exemples pédagogiques
- My health is declining.
- Sales are declining this year.
- The old building is declining.
Nom
B2
event
3
Gradual worsening or loss
A slow process of becoming worse or weaker.
Synonymes
downturn (Often used for economic or business contexts.)
|
deterioration (General term for becoming worse over time.)
Antonymes
growth (Means an increase or improvement instead of reduction.)
Collocations
a steady decline
|economic decline
|in decline
Thèmes
economy
|health
|core_vocabulary
|finance
Exemples
- There has been a steady decline in sales.
- The town went into decline after the factory closed.
- He is showing signs of mental decline.
Exemples pédagogiques
- There is a decline in jobs.
- The country is in decline.
- Her health is in decline.
Verbe
formal
B2
action
4
Decrease in amount or intensity
To become fewer, smaller, or less strong over time.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] declines by/from/to [number/amount]
Synonymes
drop (More informal and general for a decrease.)
|
fall (Common for quantities and prices going down.)
Antonymes
rise (Means to increase in number, amount, or intensity.)
Collocations
population decline
|decline by 10 percent
|crime rates decline
Thèmes
statistics
|science
|core_vocabulary
|finance
Exemples
- The population has declined by 5% since last year.
- Crime rates have declined sharply.
- Attendance at the event declined from 500 to 300.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Prices declined last month.
- The number of visitors declined.
- Crime rates declined this year.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
decline
API
GB/dɪklˈaɪn/
US/dɪklˈaɪn/
Syllabes et accentuation
de - cline (2 syllabes)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cline)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: decline
- Plural: declines
Verb
- Base: decline
- 3rd Person Singular: declines
- Present Participle: declining
- Past: declined
Famille de mots
Forms
declines
noun
declining
verb
declined
verb
Advanced or less common
declination
noun C1
Expressions
in decline
1/ˈɪn dɪklˈaɪn/
fixed phrase
Becoming worse over time
Getting worse slowly over time.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- Interest in the sport is on the decline.
- The number of new cases is on the decline.