| 释义 |
verb | noun declinedecline1 /dɪˈklaɪn/ ●●○ W3 AWL verb VERB TABLEdecline |
| Present | I, you, we, they | decline | | he, she, it | declines | | Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | declined | | Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have declined | | he, she, it | has declined | | Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had declined | | Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will decline | | Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have declined |
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| Present | I | am declining | | he, she, it | is declining | | you, we, they | are declining | | Past | I, he, she, it | was declining | | you, we, they | were declining | | Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been declining | | he, she, it | has been declining | | Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been declining | | Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be declining | | Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been declining |
► decline rapidly/sharply/dramatically/steadily The number of members is declining steadily. ► decline an offer/invitation etc. I declined his offer of another drink. ► in declining health Lambeth has been in declining health for several months. THESAURUSto become less in number, size, or amount, or to make something do this► decreaseto become less in number, size, or amount, or to make something do this: Sales in Japan steadily decreased last year. ► go down to become lower or less in level, amount, size, quality, etc.: The income of ordinary workers has been going down. ► fall/drop to decrease to a lower level or amount, especially when this happens quickly: Sales have dropped 15% this year. ► plunge/plummet to decrease suddenly and by a very large amount: It was warm during the day, but at night temperatures plummeted to near zero. ► decline to decrease in quality, quantity, or importance: The company’s earnings declined 17% last year. ► diminish to become smaller or less important: Union membership diminished from 30,000 at its height to just 750 today. ► dwindle to gradually become fewer or smaller: The team’s lead had dwindled to only two points. offer/suggestion► reject to refuse to accept an offer, suggestion, or request: Nurses have rejected the latest pay offer. The committee rejected the proposal. ► reject to say firmly that you will not accept an offer or suggestion: Morse’s book was rejected by many publishers. ► refuse to say firmly that you do not want something that you have been offered: They refused all offers of help. ► turn down informal to say that you do not want something that you have been offered. Used especially when this is surprising: An advertising company offered her a job, but she turned it down. ► say no spoken to say you do not want something or will not accept a suggestion: I asked him if he wanted a drink, but he said no. ► decline formal to say politely that you cannot or will not accept an offer: Mr. and Mrs. Forester declined the invitation. 1BECOME LESS [intransitive, transitive] to decrease in quantity or importance: Computer sales declined 2.1 percent this year. The singer’s popularity began to decline.decline rapidly/sharply/dramatically/steadily The number of members is declining steadily.► see thesaurus at decrease12SAY NO [intransitive, transitive] formal to say “no” politely when someone invites you somewhere, offers you something, or wants you to do something: They asked me to run the new division, but I declined. The pilot declined medical treatment after the accident.decline an offer/invitation etc. I declined his offer of another drink.decline to do something FBI Agent Moran declined to comment.► see thesaurus at reject13BECOME WORSE [intransitive] to become gradually worse in quality SYN deteriorate: The general standard of work is declining. Lambeth has been in declining health for several months.4somebody’s declining years formal the last years of someone’s life5GRAMMAR eng. lang. arts a)[intransitive] if a noun, pronoun, or adjective declines, its form changes according to whether it is the subject, object, etc. of a sentence b)[transitive] if you decline a noun, etc., you show these various forms that it can take verb | noun declinedecline2 ●●○ AWL noun [countable usually singular, uncountable] ETYMOLOGYdecline2Origin: 1300-1400 French décliner, from Latin declinare to turn aside, inflect ► a rapid/sharp/steep/dramatic etc. decline a dramatic decline in revenues ► a steady/gradual/long-term etc. decline a long-term decline in the teenage marriage rate ► in decline During the last ten years, the construction industry has been in decline. ► go/fall into decline The port fell into decline in the 1950s. ► on the decline The number of students entering higher education is on the decline (=is decreasing). a gradual decrease in the quality, quantity, or importance of something: Stock markets in Europe showed similar declines.decline of the decline of the steel industrydecline in a decline in exportsa rapid/sharp/steep/dramatic etc. decline a dramatic decline in revenuesa steady/gradual/long-term etc. decline a long-term decline in the teenage marriage rate During the last ten years, the construction industry has been in decline.go/fall into decline The port fell into decline in the 1950s. The number of students entering higher education is on the decline (=is decreasing). [Origin: 1300–1400 French décliner, from Latin declinare to turn aside, inflect] |