decline, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn mean to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering. decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

DECLINE definition: 1. to gradually become less, worse, or lower: 2. to refuse: 3. If a noun, pronoun, or adjective…. Learn more.

DECLINE definition: to withhold or deny consent to do, enter into or upon, etc.; refuse. See examples of decline used in a sentence.

Feb 23, 2026 · Decline, refuse, forbear, refrain: Decline is gentler than refuse and carries a connotation that the non-acceptance is an acceptable or anticipated option (decline an invitation) or the result of …

To degrade or lower oneself; stoop: refused to decline to their level of behavior. 4. To deteriorate gradually; fail: His health has been declining for years. 5. a. To sink, as the setting sun. b. To draw to …

a gradual deterioration of the physical powers, as in later life or in disease: After his seventieth birthday he went into a decline. progress downward or toward the close, as of the sun or the day.

Definition of decline verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Decline definition: To express polite refusal.

To refuse; refuse or withhold consent to do, accept, or enter upon: as, to decline a contest; to decline an offer. In grammar, to inflect, as a noun or an adjective; give the case-forms of a noun or an adjective …

When something declines, it goes downhill. If you stop working out, your health may decline. If you want it to improve, you should start climbing inclines instead of coasting down declines.