ecline
v
1 [I, Tn, Tt]
say `no' to (sth); refuse (sth offered), usu politely 拒绝（接受某物）; （通常指）谢绝
I invited her to join us, but she declined. 我邀请她和我们在一起, 可是她婉言谢绝了.
decline an invitation to dinner 谢绝宴请
He declined to discuss his plans. 他拒绝讨论他的计划.
2 [I] become smaller, weaker, fewer, etc; diminish 变小; 变弱; 变少
Her influence declined after she lost the election. 她落选後其影响力大为降低.
a declining birth-rate 逐渐下降的出生率
declining sales 销售量下降
He spent his declining years (ie those at the end of his life) in the country. 他在乡村度过晚年.
3 (grammar)
(a) [Tn] vary the endings of (nouns and pronouns) according to their function in a sentence 改变（名词和代词）的词尾（根据其在句中的作用）.
(b) [I] (of nouns and pronouns) vary in this way （指名词和代词）按此方式变化.
decline n
1 ~ (in sth) gradual and continuous loss of strength, power, numbers, etc; declining （力量、 权力、 数量等的）消减
the decline of the Roman Empire 罗马帝国的衰亡
a decline in population, prices, popularity 人口、 价格、 声望的降低.
2 (idm 习语) fall/go into a de`cline lose strength, influence, etc 失去力量、 影响等
After his wife's death, he fell into a decline. 他在妻子死後一蹶不振.
The company has gone into a decline because of falling demand. 由於市场需求下降, 这家公司的生意每况愈下. on the de`cline becoming weaker, fewer, etc 在消减; 在衰退
She is on the decline, and may die soon. 她身体越来越弱, 恐不久於人世.
The number of robberies in the area is on the decline. 这地区的劫案在减少.
Knowing that the industrious ant lives in a highly organized society does nothing to prevent us from being filled with revulsion when we find hordes of them crawling over a carefully prepared picnic lunch.