decline

decline [dē klīn′, diklīn′]

vi.

declined, declining [ME declinen < OFr decliner, to bend, turn aside < L declinare, to bend from, inflect < de-, from (see DE-) + clinare, to bend: see LEAN¹]

1. to bend, turn, or slope downward or aside

2.

a) to sink, as the setting sun

b) to approach the end; wane [the day is declining]

3. to lessen in force, health, value, etc.; deteriorate; decay

4. to descend to behavior that is base or immoral

5. to refuse to accept or do something, esp. in a way that is formally polite

vt.

1. to cause to bend or slope downward or aside

2. to refuse, esp. in a formally polite way [I must decline your offer]

3. Gram. to inflect (a noun, pronoun, or adjective) systematically, giving its different forms according to case, number, and gender

n.

1. a declining or becoming less, smaller, etc.; decay

2. a failing of health, etc.

3. a period of decline

4. the last part [the decline of life]

5. Archaic a wasting disease

6. a downward slope

decliner

n.

SYN.- DECLINE implies courtesy in expressing one's nonacceptance of an invitation, proposal, etc. [he declined the nomination ]; REFUSE¹ is a more direct, sometimes even blunt term, implying an emphatic denial of a request, demand, etc. [to refuse a person money ]; REJECT stresses a negative or antagonistic attitude and implies positive refusal to accept, use, believe, etc. [they rejected the damaged goods ]; REPUDIATE implies the disowning, disavowal, or casting off with condemnation of a person or thing as having no authority, worth, validity, truth, etc. [to repudiate the claims of faith healers ]; to SPURN is to refuse or reject with contempt or disdain [she spurned his attentions ] -ANT. ACCEPT