stagnant

adjective

stag·​nant ˈstag-nənt 

1

a(1)

: not flowing in a current or stream

stagnant water

(2)

: without inflow and outflow

a stagnant pool

b

: stale

… long disuse had made the air stagnant and foul.

—Bram Stoker

2

: not advancing or developing

a stagnant economy

stagnancy

ˈstag-nən(t)-sē 

noun

stagnantly adverb

Examples of stagnant in a Sentence

… many people who make their living in academia are reasonably well insulated from financial devastation. For most tenured faculty, the worst they are likely to experience is stagnant pay and deferred retirement. —Andrew Delbanco, The New York Review of Books, 14 May 2009

"For adults, entertainment needs to be relevant to their life." Chen points to the stagnant US comic book industry as an example of irrelevance. "I don't want to see video games become like American superhero comics," he admits. "American comics live and die based on a very niche audience. In Japan, comics are a national art form." —Sid Shuman, Gamepro, May 2009

The blue-green algae blooms can occur in both freshwater and saltwater environments, but are most commonly found in stagnant bodies of water enriched by runoff, Paerl said. Public health officials in the southeastern United States are beginning to monitor water supplies for some of the toxins. —Bridget M. Kuehn, Journal of the American Medical Association, 25 May 2005

Recent Examples on the Web

With Saturday’s success, Isar is the clear leader among a pack of several European launch startups vying to inject some competition into Europe’s stagnant launch market. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026

Chicken was thawing in stagnant sink water; chicken was removed from the sink. — Arkansas Online, 4 Sep. 2026

In July, a task force made up of parents, teachers and staff recommended closing at least three Olathe elementary schools and one middle school because of stagnant enrollment. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026

Comparing himself to anti-capitalist killer Luigi Mangione, the suspect has sparked online debate in Southern California’s warehouse belt over crushing living costs, stagnant pay and growing sympathy for politically motivated destruction. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see stagnate

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Kids Definition

stagnant

adjective

stag·​nant ˈstag-nənt 

1

: not flowing in a current or stream : motionless

2

: not active or brisk

stagnant business