[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/decline.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The Judaism dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/) / decline

[← D](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/D/)

# decline

«decline» in Mova's judaism dictionary: **to say no politely to an offer or invitation** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (decline, declines, declined, declining); noun (a decline, declines)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To decline is to say no politely to an offer or invitation. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#m1)

2) To decline is to become smaller, fewer or worse. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#m2)

3) A decline is a fall in amount, number or quality. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: In the Tanakh it means to turn aside or stray from a path. Proverbs warns not to turn from wisdom. Interpretation: The "path" is read as the way of God's commandments. Tradition teaches to walk the straight way without turning left or right. In the primary lessons: In maths and graphs, a decline is a line going down: the numbers are getting smaller. In science and geography, «the population of bees is declining». In manners lessons, you can decline politely: «No, thank you». Phrases: «decline an invitation», «in decline», «a sharp decline», «decline in numbers».

### examples

- Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Thy path; (Writings PSA.44.19, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#x1)
- Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth; (Writings PRO.4.5, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#x2)
- Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. (Writings PRO.7.25, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#x3)
- She politely declined the offer of a second cake. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#x4)
- The number of hedgehogs has declined. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#x5)
- The graph shows a decline in sales after March. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#x6)
- Grandpa's health declined over the winter. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#x7)
- He declined to answer the question. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#x8)
- The town fell into decline when the factory shut. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#x9)
- Thank you, but I must decline. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#x10)
- The Soldier drank, but only moderately, and declined to drink any more. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/#x11)

### note

Opposites: «accept» (for invitations), «rise» / «increase» (for amounts). In maths problems «declined by 20» means it went down by 20 (subtract); «declined to 20» means the new amount is 20. A declining line on a graph slopes down from left to right.

### In the corpora

- [Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Thy path;](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PSA.729/)
- [Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PRO.95/)
- [Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PRO.201/)
- [An old idea that invaders destroyed the Indus cities suddenly is now not believed; the decline was slow.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/history/7-ancient-india-the-indus-cities-and-the-first-kingdoms/12/)
- [If a prey animal disappears, the predators that ate it must find other food, move away or decline.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/30-balance-in-food-webs/11/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «decline» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/decline/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.