stagnate

verb

stag·​nate ˈstag-ˌnāt How to pronounce stagnate (audio)
stagnated; stagnating

intransitive verb

: to become or remain stagnant

Examples of stagnate in a Sentence

a puddle of stagnating water
Recent Examples on the Web However, as the state’s population growth has stagnated, some believe that demand may cool and dampen rent growth. Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 In the near term, a military confrontation seems unlikely, in part because Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has been struggling to revive China’s stagnating economy and solidify political control at home, has shown a desire to ease tensions with the United States. Michael J. Mazarr, Foreign Affairs, 9 Feb. 2024 Asked to explain why Beckman has stagnated during his rise up the ranks, Wild head coach John Hynes noted that sometimes training camps in the NHL can be misleading. Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2024 Shah offers several tips for ensuring workers grow—and don’t stagnate—in their organization. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2024 Progress in women’s financial empowerment has stagnated in recent years, Krawcheck says. Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 With startups before 2021 being chronically overvalued, cash flow is stagnating across the board, resulting in a surge of layoffs as initial funding dries up and additional funding proves hard to find. Al Khan, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Another key factor behind Japan's sluggish growth is stagnating wages that have left households reluctant to spend. Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 15 Feb. 2024 The key House committee in 2022 cleared a landmark privacy bill, but the push has since stagnated. Cristiano Lima-Strong, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Latin stagnatus, past participle of stagnare, from stagnum body of standing water

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stagnate was in 1661

Dictionary Entries Near stagnate

Cite this Entry

“Stagnate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagnate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stagnate

verb
stag·​nate ˈstag-ˌnāt How to pronounce stagnate (audio)
stagnated; stagnating
: to be or become stagnant
stagnation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on stagnate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!