stagnate

verb

stag·​nate ˈstag-ˌnāt 

stagnated; stagnating

intransitive verb

: to become or remain stagnant

a puddle of stagnating water

wages stagnated

Examples of stagnate in a Sentence

a puddle of stagnating water

Recent Examples on the Web

The short-term rental market has stagnated a bit, according to new information from data analytics firm AirDNA, which tracks short-term rental Airbnb and Vrbo bookings. —Miami Herald, 11 June 2026

Recently, Corie Barry stepped down as CEO of Best Buy as the company’s sales stagnated, replaced by chief customer, product and fulfillment officer Jason Bonfig. —Liz Elting, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

And while the Knicks surged, the Spurs stagnated. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026

Younger students have regained ground academically after the pandemic's disruptions, while older students' test scores continue to stagnate, according to the latest testing data released by the federal government. —ABC News, 10 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stagnate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

stagnate

verb

stag·​nate ˈstag-ˌnāt 

stagnated; stagnating

: to be or become stagnant

stagnation

stag-ˈnā-shən 

noun