DECLINE Synonyms: 444 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'decline' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of decline are refuse , reject , repudiate , and spurn . While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations. // declined his party's nomination

Q: When might 'refuse' be a better fit than 'decline'?

While in some cases nearly identical to decline , refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for. // refused to lend them the money

Q: When would 'reject' be a good substitute for 'decline'?

The words reject and decline can be used in similar contexts, but reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding. // rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

Q: When is it sensible to use 'repudiate' instead of 'decline'?

The synonyms repudiate and decline are sometimes interchangeable, but repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance. // teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

Q: Where would 'spurn' be a reasonable alternative to 'decline'?

While the synonyms spurn and decline are close in meaning, spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation. // spurned his overtures of friendship

decline 1 of 2

verb

di-ˈklīn

Definition of decline

as in to refuse

to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to he declined the invitation to the party she declined to participate in the soccer game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to deny

to be unwilling to grant declined our request to hold a party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to fall

to go to a lower level especially abruptly new-car sales declined to their lowest level in years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to deteriorate

to become worse or of less value his reputation as a writer began to decline not long after his death

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to decrease

to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the winds should decline as soon as the cold front passes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to plunge

to lead or extend downward the bike path declines toward the riverbank and then follows the river for several miles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

decline

2 of 2

noun

di-ˈklīn

as in deterioration

a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body her sad decline from a robust athlete to an old woman with arthritis

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in declination

a change to a lower state or level the decline of the Roman Empire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in downhill

a downward slope the bicyclist lost control on the unexpectedly steep decline

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in demise

a loss of status the engagement at the small club was an unmistakable sign of the rock band's decline

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in decrease

the amount by which something is lessened a huge decline in the value of the artwork after its authenticity was questioned

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word decline different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of decline are refuse, reject, repudiate, and spurn. While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

When might refuse be a better fit than decline?

While in some cases nearly identical to decline, refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for.

refused to lend them the money

When would reject be a good substitute for decline?

The words reject and decline can be used in similar contexts, but reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

When is it sensible to use repudiate instead of decline?

The synonyms repudiate and decline are sometimes interchangeable, but repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance.

teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

Where would spurn be a reasonable alternative to decline?

While the synonyms spurn and decline are close in meaning, spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of decline

Verb

The streamer also touted some early results from the addition of video podcasts to the platform in its quarterly earnings report — but declined to divulge any specific numbers in a large-scale data release for the first half of the year. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026 Even as testosterone levels decline with age, this doesn’t automatically indicate a need for replacement therapy. — Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 16 July 2026

Noun

Fortune talked to several analysts about the resulting 25% stock crash, the worst single-day decline in a company history dating back 115 years, but perhaps none was as damning as Krishna’s own words. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 15 July 2026 Despite several changes to its time slot, the sitcom was among the top 10 programs in the Nielsen ratings for its first four seasons, before a decline in ratings in its last two seasons. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for decline

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decline

Verb

Vehicle stops can be inherently fraught and unpredictable, with the person behind the wheel in control of thousands of pounds of steel that can pose great risk should a driver refuse to comply or simply panic and flee.

— Caroll Alvarado, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
There was more talk of hitting a provisional, but Spieth refused.

— Brody Miller, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of refuse

Verb

Along with denying the request from the Carr brothers, Kelly last month denied a clemency request for Olathe serial killer John Robinson.

— Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
He also was denied medical treatment despite developing infections and other health complications while imprisoned.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026

Definition of deny

Verb

What began as a low-level juvenile case became five years in secure custody as his behavior deteriorated and new charges accumulated.

— Christina Buttons, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
The sanctions come as the humanitarian situation on the island continues to deteriorate.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026

Definition of deteriorate

Verb

Doing so would inevitably raise the price of the shoes, and the performance-to-value ratio that’s such a big appeal now would decrease.

— Scott Douglas, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
As traffic in the waterway decreases, the oil market is facing the same squeeze that has taken millions of barrels offline per day since March.

— Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Definition of decrease

Verb

Atlantia was the controlling shareholder in motorway operator Autostrade per l’Italia at the time of the disaster which killed 43 people when their vehicles plunged from the flyover.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
The satellites would only survive about 20 minutes before ultimately plunging to their fiery doom reentering Earth’s atmosphere.

— Lee Billings & Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 16 July 2026

Definition of plunge

Noun

But nothing competes with the painful deterioration of her sight after contracting scarlet fever.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026
In addition, city officials can now require owners to install security measures to help protect vacant buildings from further deterioration or trespassing.

— Brian Maass, CBS News, 2 July 2026

Definition of deterioration

Noun

The declinations came as the DOJ reassigned and cut prosecutors working on environmental cases.

— Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 31 Mar. 2026
Federal regulations require special counsels to provide the attorney general with a report that explain prosecution or declination decisions once their work is concluded.

— Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026

Definition of declination

Browse Nearby Words

declinations

decline

declined

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Decline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decline. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of decline

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on decline

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

quid pro quo

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes