Question 1 · Quick check
decline
CEFRC1
/dɪˈklaɪn/
verb · noun
Türkçe translations
Translating…
In plain English
- 01
verb
To become smaller, weaker, or less successful.
- 02
verb
To politely refuse an offer or invitation.
Examples
All of us want prices to decline.
There has been a 5 per cent decline in student numbers.
At a glance
Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale
- Senses
- 5
- Parts of speech
- 2
- Citations
- 5
- Synonyms
- 1
Deep Dive
verb
Extra meaningsA deterioration of condition; a weakening or worsening.
A sloping downward, e.g. of a hill or road.
noun
Extra meaningDownward movement, fall.
More examples
In contextThere was a rapid decline in stock prices.
After taking a right from that turn a decline will come into view.
He has experienced a sudden decline in his health.
Related
Quick test
Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.
Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.
Nearby
Origin
verb
From Middle English declinen, and ultimately Latin declīnō (“to bend, turn aside, deflect, inflect, decline”, from dē- (“down”) + clīnō (“to bend, to incline”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- (English lean). The senses arrived from two separate pathways in Middle English: * The grammatical sense came from Old English declīnian, which was borrowed directly from the Latin etymon. * All senses except the grammatical sense were derived from those of Old French decliner. Old French itself borrowed the verb from Latin.