decline

1. (intransitive) To move downwards, to fall, to drop.Examples: "The dollar has declined rapidly since 2001."intransitive

2. (intransitive) To become weaker or worse.Examples: "My health declined in winter."; "After her sother died, Connie began to decline noticeably."intransitive

3. (transitive) To bend downward; to bring down; to depress; to cause to bend, or fall.Examples: "in melancholy site, with head declined"; "And now faire Phoebus gan decline in hast / His weary wagon to the Westerne vale."transitive

4. (transitive) To cause to decrease or diminish.Examples: "You have declin'd his means."; "He knoweth his error, but will not seek to decline it."transitive

5. (transitive) To choose not to do something; refuse, forbear, refrain.Examples: "Could I decline this dreadful hour?"; "“[…] This is Mr. Churchill, who, as you are aware, is good enough to come to us for his diaconate, and, as we hope, for much longer; and being a gentleman of independent means, he declines to take any payment.” Saying this Walden rubbed his hands together and smiled contentedly."; "On reflection I think I will decline your generous offer."transitive

6. (transitive, grammar, usually of substantives, adjectives and pronouns) To inflect for case, number, gender, and the like.Synonyms: declensetransitiveusually