v.下降；减少；变弱；拒绝；倾斜
n.衰微；跌落；晚年
I wish prices would decline. 但愿物价下降。
The price of 14 inches TV set declined from 400 to 320 yuan each. 14英寸的电视机每台从400元降到320元。
He spent his declining years in the country. 他在乡间度过晚年。
I must regretfully decline your kind invitation. 我很抱歉必须拒绝你的盛情邀请。
The wall declined slightly on account of the earthquake. 墙壁因地震而倾斜。
用作名词 (n.)This decline in vigour with the passing of time is called ageing. 这种随着时间流逝的活力衰退就叫做衰老。
There is a sharp decline in unemployment. 失业率急剧下跌。
decline作动词指“有礼貌地谢绝”，比refuse语气上要婉转些；
decline后可跟不定式或动名词，但跟不定式比较普遍。 She declined to answer my questions.
decline的名词形式有declination，declinature和declinal，但都不常见。美语中declination比较常见，但还是习惯用refuse的名词形式refusal。
v.(动词)decline用作动词的基本意思是有礼貌地拒绝邀请、给予或服务。引申可表示“衰落,降低”“倾斜,下降”“下沉”。作“辞谢,谢绝”解时多用作及物动词,其后可接名词、动名词或动词不定式作宾语。作“衰落”解时只用作不及物动词。
