I.
noun
ADJECTIVE
▪ catastrophic , considerable , dramatic , drastic , large , major , marked , massive , serious , severe , significant , substantial
▪ precipitous , sharp , steep
▪ rapid , sudden
▪ gentle , modest , slight
▪ gradual , slow
▪ continuing , progressive , steady , sustained
▪
a steady ~ in manufacturing
▪ general , long-term , overall
▪ absolute , inevitable , inexorable , irreversible , terminal
▪
an industry in terminal ~
▪ economic , industrial , moral , political , urban
▪
the moral ~ of the nation
▪ mental , physical
▪ population , price
▪ national
▪ seasonal
▪ age-related
VERB + DECLINE
▪ experience , fall into , go into , suffer
▪
The cloth trade went into gradual ~.
▪ cause , lead to
▪
The increased price of gold led to the ~ of his business.
▪ arrest , halt , stem , stop
▪
We must halt this ~ in standards.
▪ slow
▪ prevent
▪ reverse
▪ offset
▪ accelerate , hasten
▪ see , witness
▪
We have seen a sharp ~ in educational standards over recent years.
▪ lament
▪
They lament the ~ of old-fashioned communities.
DECLINE + VERB
▪ occur
▪
Most of the ~ occurred in the 1990s.
▪ begin
PREPOSITION
▪ in ~
▪
The industry is still in ~.
▪ on the ~
▪
His career has been on the ~ for some years now.
▪ ~ in
▪
a steep ~ in sales
▪ ~ of
▪
the ~ of small farming communities
PHRASES
▪ the ~ and fall of sth
▪
the ~ and fall of a great civilization
II.
verb
1 become smaller/weaker
ADVERB
▪ considerably , dramatically , drastically , markedly , sharply , significantly , steeply , substantially
▪
The economy has ~d sharply in recent years.
▪ somewhat
▪ a little , slightly , etc.
▪ fast , quickly , rapidly
▪
The market for these products is declining fast.
▪ steadily
▪ gradually , slowly
▪ further
PREPOSITION
▪ by
▪
Profits ~d by 6% this year.
▪ from , to
▪
The number of full-time staff has ~d from 300 to just 50.
PHRASES
▪ ~ in importance, numbers, size, etc.
▪
This section of the market has slowly ~d in importance.
2 refuse
ADVERB
▪ politely , respectfully
Decline is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ asset , ↑ attendance , ↑ catch , ↑ confidence , ↑ consumption , ↑ demand , ↑ density , ↑ economy , ↑ employment , ↑ enrolment , ↑ fortune , ↑ income , ↑ index , ↑ industry , ↑ inequality , ↑ investment , ↑ market , ↑ morale , ↑ number , ↑ percentage , ↑ popularity , ↑ population , ↑ productivity , ↑ profit , ↑ proportion , ↑ rate , ↑ receipt , ↑ return , ↑ sale , ↑ size , ↑ standing , ↑ stock , ↑ strength , ↑ tourism , ↑ trade , ↑ unemployment , ↑ value , ↑ yield
Decline is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ comment , ↑ invitation , ↑ noun , ↑ offer , ↑ participation , ↑ per cent , ↑ point , ↑ request