in·cline
verb/ɪnˈklaɪn/
/ɪnˈklaɪn/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they incline | /ɪnˈklaɪn/ /ɪnˈklaɪn/ |
| he / she / it inclines | /ɪnˈklaɪnz/ /ɪnˈklaɪnz/ |
| past simple inclined | /ɪnˈklaɪnd/ /ɪnˈklaɪnd/ |
| past participle inclined | /ɪnˈklaɪnd/ /ɪnˈklaɪnd/ |
| -ing form inclining | /ɪnˈklaɪnɪŋ/ /ɪnˈklaɪnɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to tend to think or behave in a particular way; to make somebody do this
（使）倾向于，有…的趋势 - incline to/towards something I incline to the view that we should take no action at this stage.
我倾向于认为我们在这个阶段不应采取行动。 - Young people incline towards individualistic behaviour.
年轻人倾向于个人主义行为。 - incline to do something The government is more effective than we incline to think.
政府比我们惯常料想的更有成效。 - incline somebody to/towards something Lack of money inclines many young people towards crime.
缺钱使很多年轻人产生了犯罪倾向。 - incline somebody to do something His obvious sincerity inclined me to trust him.
他满脸的真诚，让我愿意相信他。
- incline to/towards something I incline to the view that we should take no action at this stage.
- [transitive] incline your head to bend your head forward, especially as a sign of agreement, welcome, etc.
点头（尤指以示同意、欢迎等） - He inclined his head in acknowledgement.
他点头承认。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- slightly
- He inclined his head in acknowledgement.
- [intransitive, transitive] incline (something) (to/towards something) to lean or slope in a particular direction; to make something lean or slope
（使）倾斜 - The land inclined gently towards the shore.
地面缓缓向海岸倾斜。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- gently
- steeply
- towards/toward
- The land inclined gently towards the shore.
Word OriginMiddle English (originally in the sense ‘bend (the head or body) towards something’); formerly also as encline: from Old French encliner, from Latin inclinare, from in- ‘towards’ + clinare ‘to bend’.