decline
verb uk/dɪˈklaɪn/ us/dɪˈklaɪn/
(GO DOWN)
B2 [ I ]（逐渐）减少，衰落，降低
to gradually become less, worse, or lower
His interest in the project declined after his wife died. 妻子死后，他对该项目的兴趣逐渐淡薄了。
The party's popularity has declined in the opinion polls. 民意测验表明该党的支持率已经下滑。
formal The land declines sharply away from the house. 地势从房屋那边开始大幅度向下倾斜。
- More examples
- The latest opinion poll shows that the president's popularity has declined.
- Profits have declined as a result of the recent drop in sales.
- The levels of trade union and political activism in this country have greatly declined in the past 15 years.
- Her popularity has declined since her triumphal return from exile two years ago.
- Their economy has expanded enormously, while ours, by/in contrast, has declined.
(REFUSE)
B2 [ I or T ] formal拒绝，谢绝
to refuse
I invited him to the meeting but he declined. 我邀请他参加会议，但他谢绝了。
He declined my offer. 他拒绝了我的提议。
[ + to infinitive ] They declined to tell me how they had obtained my address. 他们拒绝透露是如何得到我的地址的。
- More examples
- When she was asked if she had any ambition to become prime minister, she respectfully declined to answer the question.
- A spokesperson declined to speculate on the cause of the train crash.
- The official declined to comment on the matter.
- Our application for a loan was declined by the bank.
- His request for early retirement was declined by his employers.
(GRAMMAR)
[ I or T ] language specialized（根据名词，代词或形容词在句子中的作用）变格;（使）发生词形变化
If a noun, pronoun, or adjective declines, it has different forms to show if it is the subject or object, etc. of a verb or if it is singular or plural, etc. If you decline such a word, you list its various forms.
In Latin we learned how to decline nouns. 学习拉丁语要了解名词的变格。
Idiom
someone's declining yearsidiom （…的）晚年，风烛残年
the last years of someone's life
He became very forgetful in his declining years. 他晚年的时候非常健忘。
decline
noun [ S or U ] uk/dɪˈklaɪn/ us/dɪˈklaɪn/
B2 衰落；衰弱，衰退
when something becomes less in amount, importance, quality, or strength
industrial decline 工业的衰落
Home cooking seems to be on the/in decline (= not so many people are doing it). 自己在家做饭的人似乎越来越少了。
a decline in the number of unemployed 失业人数的下降
She seemed to be recovering and then she went into a decline. 她的身体似乎开始恢复了，但后来却又变得越来越虚弱。
- More examples
- The country has been in a very poor economic state ever since the decline of its two major industries.
- My grandmother, as usual, lamented the decline in moral standards in today's society.
- The TV series will be axed owing to a decline in popularity.
- Orders for new ships are rising, after several years of steady decline.
- The new manager hoped to reverse the decline in the company's fortunes.