decline
decline — 動詞
1. to become smaller in size, amount, or value over a period of time, or to move to
下降；減少
數量或品質逐漸變少或變差
to become smaller in size, amount, or value over a period of time, or to move to a lower level of quality or strength.
The company's profits declined sharply after the new competitor entered the market.
新競爭者進入市場後，該公司的利潤急遽下降。
decline + adverb of degree (sharply)
Yan's health began to decline after she turned eighty.
Yan 年滿八十後，健康狀況開始衰退。
As the afternoon wore on, the temperature declined by nearly eight degrees.
到了下午，氣溫下降了將近八度。
Water quality in the river has declined because of waste from local factories.
由於當地工廠排放廢水，這條河的水質已經下降。
- decrease
more neutral and factual; works for numbers and amounts but not typically for health or quality
- deteriorate
stronger negative tone, used mainly for quality or condition getting worse
- drop
faster and often more sudden than 'decline'; can describe a one-time event
- fall
similar to 'drop' but often used for prices, temperatures, or values
文法句型
decline + adverb
decline + in + noun
用法筆記
Commonly used with adverbs describing speed or degree, such as 'sharply,' 'steadily,' 'gradually,' and 'rapidly.' The subject is typically a measurable thing (profits, quality, health, temperature) rather than a person acting deliberately.
常見錯誤
2. to politely say that you will not accept an invitation, offer, or suggestion mad
婉拒；謝絕
有禮貌地拒絕邀請或提議
to politely say that you will not accept an invitation, offer, or suggestion made to you.
Megan declined the invitation to the conference because of a prior commitment.
Megan 因為先前已有安排，婉拒了會議的邀請。
decline + invitation / offer / request
When offered a second slice of cake, Selim politely declined.
被問到要不要再來一塊蛋糕時，Selim 客氣地謝絕了。
intransitive use: politely decline
The bank declined their request for a larger loan.
銀行婉拒了他們申請更大額貸款的請求。
Naoko declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
Naoko 婉拒就正在進行的調查發表評論。
Sophia was offered the promotion but she declined, saying she preferred her current role.
公司給了 Sophia 升遷的機會，但她婉拒了，說自己比較喜歡目前的職位。
文法句型
decline + noun phrase (offer/invitation)
decline to + infinitive
用法筆記
More polite and formal than 'refuse.' Appropriate for invitations, offers, and requests in both social and professional contexts. The construction 'decline to + infinitive' is common for refusing to act or speak, especially in journalism ('declined to comment').
常見錯誤
3. (in grammar) to list or produce the set of forms that a word takes as its role i
變化詞形
名詞等依語法功能變化形式
(in grammar) to list or produce the set of forms that a word takes as its role in a sentence changes — for instance, when a noun switches from subject to object, or from singular to plural.
In Latin class, students must learn to decline nouns in five different cases.
在拉丁文課上，學生必須學習用五種格來變化名詞。
decline + noun / pronoun / adjective
Mr. Kim asked the class to decline the adjective 'bonus' for homework.
Kim 老師要全班回家練習變化形容詞 'bonus' 的詞形。
In German class, the teacher showed Feng how German declines its adjectives while English does not.
在德文課上，老師向 Feng 示範德文如何變化形容詞詞形，而英文則不需要這麼做。
Anjali carefully declined each German pronoun into four cases on her grammar worksheet.
Anjali 在文法學習單上仔細地將每個德文代名詞變化為四種格。
文法句型
decline + noun (noun/pronoun/adjective)
noun declines
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive: 'Latin nouns are declined in five cases.' This sense is technical and appears mainly in linguistics textbooks, language classes, and grammar discussions. Distinguish from sense 1 — here the change is in grammatical form, not in quantity or quality.
常見錯誤
decline — 名詞
1. a gradual loss in amount, value, quality, or importance over time, often moving
衰退；衰落
數量、品質或重要性的逐漸減少
a gradual loss in amount, value, quality, or importance over time, often moving toward a weaker or worse condition.
The decline of the Roman Empire took place over several centuries.
羅馬帝國的衰退歷經了數個世紀。
decline of + entity (an empire, civilization, company)
The town's economy has been in decline since the factory closed.
自從那家工廠關閉後，該鎮的經濟一直處於衰退狀態。
in decline — currently decreasing or getting worse
Scientists warned about the rapid decline in the number of wild tigers.
科學家針對野生老虎數量急遽下降發出警告。
A sharp decline in sales forced the company to lay off forty workers.
銷售額急遽下滑，迫使公司裁員四十人。
Historians still debate the causes of the decline and fall of the Maya civilization.
歷史學家至今仍在辯論馬雅文明衰亡的原因。
- decrease
more neutral and often used for numbers and statistics
- downturn
specifically economic; suggests a temporary period
- deterioration
stronger negative tone; focuses on quality getting worse
- recession
formal economic term for a period of reduced activity
- increase
general opposite — growth in amount or size
- rise
upward movement in value, amount, or quality
- improvement
specifically about quality getting better
文法句型
decline in + noun
decline of + noun
in decline
用法筆記
Often used with prepositions: 'decline in [something]' for the specific thing decreasing, 'decline of [something]' for the entity itself. The phrase 'in decline' describes an ongoing process, while 'on the decline' suggests a downward trend that is still active.
常見錯誤
2. the process of a person's physical or mental abilities becoming weaker, especial
衰弱
身體或心智能力的減退
the process of a person's physical or mental abilities becoming weaker, especially as a result of aging, illness, or injury.
After her stroke, Gabriela experienced a steady decline in her mobility.
中風之後，Gabriela 的行動能力持續衰退。
decline in + ability (mobility, eyesight, memory)
The doctor said that some memory decline is normal as people grow older.
醫生說，隨著年紀增長，記憶力出現某種程度的衰退是正常的。
Nikhil's family noticed a gradual decline in his eyesight over the past year.
Nikhil 的家人注意到，過去一年來他的視力逐漸衰退。
Dr. Chen told Dahlia that daily walks could slow her physical decline as she aged.
陳醫師告訴 Dahlia，每天走路有助於減緩她隨著年齡增長而出現的身體機能衰退。
- deterioration
more clinical; often used in medical contexts
- weakening
simpler and more direct; describes loss of strength
- degeneration
medical term for progressive loss of tissue or function
- recovery
return to a healthy or strong state after illness
- improvement
positive change in health or ability
文法句型
decline in + ability/faculty
cognitive/physical/mental decline
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in contexts of aging, chronic illness, or age-related changes. Common collocations include 'cognitive decline,' 'physical decline,' and 'mental decline.' Can also refer to environmental or ecological systems losing vitality, though this is less common.
常見錯誤
3. a piece of ground that slopes downward from a higher point to a lower point, or
下坡；斜坡
向下的坡度或斜面
a piece of ground that slopes downward from a higher point to a lower point, or the angle of such a slope.
The path follows a gentle decline down to the lake.
這條小路沿著一道平緩的下坡通往湖邊。
gentle / steep decline — describing gradient
The house sits at the top of a steep decline that leads to the village.
那棟房子位於一道陡峭斜坡的頂端，這道斜坡通往村莊。
From the ridge, a grassy decline opens into the valley below.
從山脊望去，一片草坡延伸到下方的山谷。
Cyclists had to slow down when they reached a sudden decline in the road.
騎自行車的人騎到路上一個突然的斜坡時，不得不放慢速度。
文法句型
gentle/steep decline
decline to + location
用法筆記
Less common than 'slope' or 'hill.' Often paired with 'gentle' or 'steep' to describe the gradient. Used more in descriptive writing and landscape descriptions than in everyday conversation.