Synonyms for declension
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Decline
decline, fall, declination, descent, decay, degeneration, degeneracy, diminution, decadence, abatement, failure, wane, lapse, downslope, decadency, declivity, retrogression, ebb
2. Deterioration
Other
inflection, inflexion UK
Definitions
- n. 1
A falling off, decay or descent.
- n. 2
The act of declining a word; the act of listing the inflections of a noun, pronoun or adjective in order.
Related words
- Word family
- declense declensionist
- Is a kind of
- flection flexion inflection accidence
Forms
- Plural
- declensions → declines, falls, declinations, descents…
Example sentences
- decline I had to decline the invitation because I was ill.
- decay A mother must protect her child's teeth from decay.
- degeneration Age-related macular degeneration can cause blindness.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| declension | steady | |
| decline | steady | |
| decay | falling | |
| degeneration | steady | |
| declination | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- ebb1
- 4 letters
- fall1, wane1
- 5 letters
- decay2, lapse1
- 7 letters
- failure2, decline2, descent2
- 9 letters
- worsening3, decadence3, abatement3, downslope, inflexion, declivity, decadency
- 10 letters
- inflection3, degeneracy5, diminution4
- 11 letters
- degradation4, declination
- 12 letters
- degeneration5
- 13 letters
- deterioration6, retrogression
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (decay2 = 2 syllables).