intransitive verb declined, declining
- to bend, turn, or slope downward or aside
- to sink, as the setting sun
- to approach the end; wane: the day is declining
- to lessen in force, health, value, etc.; deteriorate; decay
- to descend to behavior that is base or immoral
- to refuse to accept or do something, esp. in a way that is formally polite
Origin:
ME declinen < OFr decliner, to bend, turn aside < L declinare, to bend from, inflect < de-, from (see de-) + clinare, to bend: see lean