Incline means to slope or slant upward, like a hill rising gradually from flat ground. When you ride your bike up an incline, you're pedaling uphill against gravity. A wheelchair ramp is an incline that makes it easier to roll up to a doorway than climbing stairs would be.

The word can also describe leaning or bending. You might incline your head forward to hear someone whisper a secret, or incline your body toward a friend when they're telling an exciting story.

As a feeling or tendency, to be inclined means you lean toward doing something or thinking a certain way. If you're inclined to agree with your teacher's decision, you naturally tend to support it. When someone asks if you want pizza for dinner and you say, “I'm inclined to say yes,” you mean you're leaning in that direction but haven't quite decided. Your natural talents might make you inclined toward art rather than sports, or vice versa.