stagnant

adjective

stag·​nant ˈstag-nənt How to pronounce stagnant (audio)
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 foulBram Stoker
2
: not advancing or developing
a stagnant economy
stagnancy 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 Items can remain there for years, collecting dust and creating a stagnant energy. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2024 But while public opinion has moved left on the issue over time, Republican opinion has remained relatively stagnant, widening the gap between the Republican and general electorate. Monica Potts, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2024 Meanwhile, wages for Boeing’s 33,000 unionized employees have been stagnant. Allison Morrow, CNN, 14 Sep. 2024 The big picture: The top two broad concerns, according to the survey, were the rising cost of living and stagnant pay. Nate Rau, Axios, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stagnant 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stagnant.' 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

see stagnate

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of stagnant was in 1610

Dictionary Entries Near stagnant

Cite this Entry

“Stagnant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagnant. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

stagnant

adjective
stag·​nant ˈstag-nənt How to pronounce stagnant (audio)
1
: not flowing in a current or stream : motionless
2
: not active or brisk
stagnant business
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