decline
To politely say no to something you have been offered.
decline in a sentence
- I had to decline the invitation because it was my gran's birthday.
- Too full to eat another bite, Hana chose to decline a second slice of cake.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to decline?
- Aagree
- Bwelcome
- Crefuse
- Daccept
Show the answer
C: refuse. The other three mean the opposite of decline.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to decline?
- Aaccept
- Brefuse
- Creject
- Drebuff
Show the answer
A: accept. The other three mean nearly the same as decline.
Words that mean something similar
refuse, reject, rebuff
Words that mean the opposite
accept, agree, welcome
More words about behaviour & manners
- dedicate: To give your time and effort to something because it matters to you.
- defiant: Refusing to do what you are told.
- deliberate: Done on purpose, not by accident.
- demure: Quiet, shy and very well-behaved.
- deprive: To take away something that a person needs.
- deter: To put someone off doing something.
- devote: To give a lot of your time, effort or love to something.
- disarray: A state of untidiness and confusion.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test