declining

adjective

de·​clin·​ing di-ˈklī-niŋ How to pronounce declining (audio)
dē-
: of or relating to the period during which something is deteriorating or nearing its end
her declining years

Examples of declining in a Sentence

the declining flowers perked up with the gentle rainfall
Recent Examples on the Web While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant. Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 6 Mar. 2021 In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities. Fox News, 15 May 2020 Remove dead and declining portions back to the healthy trunks or to the ground. Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 23 Nov. 2019 During replanting, remove dead and declining portions, including old roots. Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 26 May 2018 The team then built mathematical models using the same data to assess how declining immunity might affect the susceptibility of the U.S. population. Roni Dengler, Science | AAAS, 21 Mar. 2018 Prune away dead or declining plant portions affected by summer weather or pests. Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 26 Aug. 2017 According to a new analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute, 81 percent of the United States population is in an income bracket with flat or declining income over the last decade. Neil Irwin, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'declining.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of declining was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near declining

Cite this Entry

“Declining.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/declining. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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