# declined

/dɪˈkɫaɪnd/ (US) · /dɪklˈaɪnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/declined
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to say no

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

politely refused an invitation or an offer.

For teachers: politely refused to accept an invitation, offer, or suggestion.

- She declined the job offer because the commute was too long.
- The ambassador declined the invitation to the gala, citing a prior engagement that required his presence in the capital.

Usage: Often followed by a direct object or a 'to' infinitive.

### 2. to decrease

verb · CEFR B2

became smaller, fewer, or less in quality.

For teachers: underwent a gradual decrease in number, value, strength, or quality.

- The number of butterflies in the garden declined over the summer.
- Standard of living in the region declined sharply following the closure of the primary manufacturing plant.

Usage: Commonly used with adverbs like 'sharply', 'steadily', or 'gradually'.

### 3. pointing downwards

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

pointing or bending downwards or to the side.

For teachers: directed or curved downward or obliquely. Used primarily in technical descriptions of plants or animal parts.

- The plant has declined leaves that hang toward the ground.
- The specimen is characterized by its declined stems, which distinguish it from other varieties in the same genus.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specialized term in botany; in everyday English, people use 'drooping' or 'hanging'.

## Examples

- She declined the invitation to the party.
- The population of the local bird species has declined significantly over the last decade due to habitat loss.
- Although the CEO declined to comment on the merger, the company's stock price declined steadily throughout the afternoon as investors grew increasingly nervous.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.