English dictionary
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English noun: decline | |||
| 1. | decline (process) change toward something smaller or lower | ||
| Synonyms | diminution | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | decrease, decrement | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | declension, decline in quality, deterioration, detumescence, ebb, ebbing, erosion, loss, nosedive, sinking spell, slippage, wane, worsening | ||
| 2. | decline (state) a condition inferior to an earlier condition; a gradual falling off from a better state | ||
| Synonyms | declination | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | condition, status | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | disuse, neglect, twilight, wreck | ||
| Antonyms | melioration, improvement | ||
| 3. | decline (process) a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current | ||
| Synonyms | decay | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | decrease, decrement | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | exponential decay, exponential return | ||
| 4. | decline (object) a downward slope or bend | ||
| Synonyms | declension, declination, declivity, descent, downslope, fall | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | incline, side, slope | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | downhill, steep | ||
| Antonyms | acclivity, ascent, climb, upgrade, raise, rise | ||
English verb: decline | |||
| 1. | decline (change) grow worse | ||
| Samples | Conditions in the slum worsened. | ||
| Examples | The stock market is going to decline , The business is going to decline | ||
| Synonyms | worsen | ||
| Pattern of use | Something ----s. Somebody ----s | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | change state, turn | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | come down, degenerate, deprive, deteriorate, devolve, drop, drop away, drop off, fail, fall away, impoverish, inflame, lose, regress, retrograde, retrogress, sicken, slip, suffer, suffer, tumble, turn down | ||
| Antonyms | ameliorate, improve, meliorate, better | ||
| 2. | decline (possession) refuse to accept | ||
| Samples | He refused my offer of hospitality. | ||
| Examples | They decline the money | ||
| Synonyms | pass up, refuse, reject, turn down | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s something from somebody | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | bounce, dishonor, dishonour | ||
| Verb group | disdain, freeze off, pooh-pooh, reject, scorn, spurn, turn down | ||
| Antonyms | accept, take, have | ||
| 3. | decline (communication) show unwillingness towards | ||
| Samples | He declined to join the group on a hike. | ||
| Examples | They decline to move | ||
| Synonyms | refuse | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody. Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | react, respond | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | contract out, disdain, disobey, freeze off, pooh-pooh, regret, reject, repudiate, scorn, spurn, turn down | ||
| Antonyms | consent, go for, accept | ||
| 4. | decline (change) grow smaller | ||
| Samples | Interest in the project waned. | ||
| Synonyms | go down, wane | ||
| Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | decrease, diminish, fall, lessen | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | dip, drop, wear on | ||
| 5. | decline (motion) go down | ||
| Samples | The roof declines here. | ||
| Pattern of use | Something ----s. Something is ----ing PP | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | drop | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | dip, sink | ||
| 6. | decline (motion) go down in value | ||
| Samples | The stock market corrected. Prices slumped. | ||
| Synonyms | correct, slump | ||
| Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | come down, descend, fall, go down | ||
| 7. | decline (communication) inflect for number, gender, case, etc., | ||
| Samples | In many languages, speakers decline nouns, pronouns, and adjectives. | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | inflect | ||
Based on WordNet 3.0 copyright © Princeton University.
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Web design: Orcapia v/Per Bang. English edition: .
2025 onlineordbog.dk