1. to politely refuse an offer or invitation
禮貌地拒絕提議或邀請
She declined the job offer because the salary was too low.
她婉拒了那份工作邀請，因為薪水太低了。
I had to decline their dinner invitation due to a prior commitment.
由於已有其他安排，我不得不婉拒他們的晚餐邀請。
Decline Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
decline
verb
快速理解
What does "Decline" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Decline"?
「decline」主要有拒絕、減少、變差等核心意思。
- 1
拒絕
EN: to politely refuse an offer or invitation
翻譯: 禮貌地拒絕提議或邀請
- 2
減少
EN: to gradually become less, worse, or lower
翻譯: 逐漸變少、變差或降低
- 3
變差
EN: to move from a better to a worse state
翻譯: 從較好的狀態轉為較差的狀態
- 4
下降
EN: to slope downward
翻譯: 向下傾斜
小提醒：注意「decline」作「拒絕」解時，語氣比「refuse」更正式、更禮貌，通常用於婉拒邀請或提議。
發音（How to Pronounce "Decline" in English）
How to pronounce "Decline" in English?"Decline" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Decline" from YouTube Videos
Richard Sears: Planning for the end of oil
TED
“Now it's about 35 percent. It's been declining and I believe it will continue to decline.”
(1 out of 15)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Decline"?How does "Decline" change by context?
2. to become weaker, smaller, or less in quality or quantity
變弱、變小或在品質、數量上減少
His health began to decline rapidly after the accident.
事故發生後，他的健康狀況開始迅速惡化。
The population of the town has been declining for decades.
這個城鎮的人口數十年來一直在下降。
The quality of their customer service has declined recently.
他們客戶服務的品質最近有所下降。
3. to slope or bend downward
向下傾斜或彎曲
The path declines gently towards the river.
小徑緩緩向下傾斜，通往河邊。
The land declines to the west, forming a shallow valley.
地勢向西傾斜，形成一個淺淺的山谷。
4. (in grammar) to list the different forms of a noun, pronoun, or adjective
（文法）列出名詞、代名詞或形容詞的不同形式（變格）
Students must learn how to decline Latin nouns.
學生必須學習如何將拉丁文名詞變格。
The word 'who' declines to 'whom' in the objective case.
單字 'who' 在受格時變格為 'whom'。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Decline"?How to make natural sentences with "Decline"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| decline + noun | 拒絕（某事物） | He declined the offer. (他拒絕了那個提議。) |
| decline + to + V | 拒絕做… | She declined to comment on the issue. (她拒絕對此事發表評論。) |
| decline + V-ing | 拒絕做…（較少用） | They declined participating in the survey. (他們拒絕參與該調查。) |
| decline + adverb | （禮貌地、正式地等）拒絕 | The minister politely declined the invitation. (部長禮貌地婉拒了邀請。) |
| decline (intransitive) | 減少；下降；衰退 | Sales have declined sharply this quarter. (本季度的銷售額急遽下降。) |
| decline in + noun | 在…方面下降 | There has been a decline in quality. (品質有所下降。) |
| decline by + amount | 減少了…（數量） | Profits declined by 10%. (利潤減少了10%。) |
| decline from X to Y | 從X下降到Y | The population declined from 5 million to 4.8 million. (人口從五百萬下降到四百八十萬。) |
用法說明
How is "Decline" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Decline"?
decline doing vs decline to do
- decline to do 是標準且最常見的用法，表示「婉拒、謝絕去做某事」。
- decline doing 在文法上較不常見，聽起來較為正式或生硬，通常出現在非常正式的書面語中。
- 在絕大多數日常和正式場合，使用 decline to do 都是最安全、最自然的選擇。
- 當 decline 表示「下降、衰退」時，後面會接名詞（如 a decline in sales），與此處的動詞用法不同。 EN: The manager declined to comment on the ongoing investigation. 翻譯: 經理婉拒對正在進行的調查發表評論。
EN:He declined answering the question directly, which seemed evasive.
翻譯:他拒絕直接回答問題，這顯得有些閃爍其詞。
總結建議
在表達「婉拒做某事」時，建議一律使用 decline to do 這個結構。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Decline" and similar words?How to choose "Decline" vs alternatives?
decline vs refuse
「decline」較為禮貌、委婉，常用於正式或社交場合；「refuse」語氣更強烈、直接，表示堅決拒絕。
decline vs reject
「decline」偏向主動、禮貌地婉拒；「reject」則更正式、絕對，常指經過考慮後不予接受或採納。
decline vs decrease
作動詞表示「減少」時，「decline」常指逐漸、持續地下降，多用於抽象事物；「decrease」較通用，可指數量、程度、規模的減少。
口語用法
How is "Decline" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Decline"?
引述
在轉述他人的拒絕或描述情況時，常用「decline」來保持客觀。 EN: So when I asked him directly, he had to decline the offer. 翻譯: 所以當我直接問他時，他不得不婉拒了那個提議。
EN:She said she declines to comment on rumors.
翻譯:她說她拒絕就傳聞發表評論。
語氣強調
在口語中，可透過重音或前置副詞來加強「decline」的語氣，表達堅定或遺憾。 EN: I must respectfully decline your invitation this time. 翻譯: 這次我必須恭敬地婉拒您的邀請。
EN:The company's profits continue to sharply decline.
翻譯:公司的利潤持續急遽下滑。
停頓填充
在思考如何委婉表達時，「decline」前常會有停頓或填充詞（如「well」、「I mean」）。 EN: Well... I think I'll have to decline, but thanks anyway. 翻譯: 嗯...我想我必須婉拒，但還是謝謝你。
EN:I mean, if the terms don't improve, we might decline the deal.
翻譯:我的意思是，如果條件沒有改善，我們可能會拒絕這筆交易。
正式書寫注意：在正式書面語（如報告、公文）中，應避免在「decline」前使用口語填充詞，並確保句子結構完整，以維持專業性。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Decline"?What fixed phrases with "Decline" should I remember?
decline an offer
decline + [article] + offer
拒絕提議、工作機會或邀請
decline to comment
decline + to-infinitive (comment)
拒絕發表評論（常用於正式或媒體場合）
decline an invitation
decline + [article] + invitation
婉拒邀請
decline sharply
decline + adverb (sharply/rapidly/steadily)
急遽下降、大幅減少
decline politely
decline + adverb (politely/graciously)
禮貌地拒絕
decline in health
decline + in + [noun] (health/quality)
健康狀況惡化；品質下降
decline further
decline + adverb (further)
進一步下降、持續惡化
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Decline"?Which "Decline" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×I declined to go to the party.
✓I declined the invitation to the party.
「decline」通常直接接名詞（如邀請、提議），而非不定詞片語。若要表達拒絕做某事，更常用「refuse to do something」。
×The sales are declining down.
✓The sales are declining.
「decline」本身已含有「下降、減少」的意思，加上「down」是多餘的。
×I must decline your help.
✓I must decline your offer of help.
「decline」用於婉拒「提議、邀請、好意」等抽象事物時，通常會具體說明是什麼（如 an offer, an invitation）。單說「help」較不自然，除非上下文已明確。
×He declined answering the question.
✓He declined to answer the question.
「decline」後接動詞時，應使用不定詞「to + V」，而非動名詞「V-ing」。這是與「refuse」相似的用法。
×The company's profit declined from 10% to 5%.
✓The company's profit declined by 5 percentage points (from 10% to 5%).
描述百分比「從A降到B」時，若直接說「declined from A to B」可能語意不清（是下降了差值，還是降到B？）。更清晰的說法是「declined by X percentage points」或明確說明「fell to B」。
×I'm sorry, I decline.
✓I'm sorry, I must decline.
單獨使用「I decline」聽起來生硬、直接，甚至有些無禮。在禮貌婉拒時，常會加上「must」、「have to」、「politely」等詞，或使用完整句子（如「I'm afraid I have to decline」）使語氣更委婉。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Decline"?What are tense/participle forms of "Decline"?
declines(3rd_singular)declining(present_participle)declined(past)declined(past_participle)