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
Bram Stoker2
: not advancing or developing
a stagnant economy
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
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
Heading into Week 2, the Cardinals face another NFC South opponent looking to rebound from a rough 2024 season in the Carolina Panthers, who again looked stagnant in their Week 1 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
All other sectors either lost or remained stagnant.
—Eli Amdur, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Following a stagnant third quarter, La Jolla’s offense put the game in the hands of Diehl.
—Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
Job growth slowed to a crawl in August, and the unemployment rate rose to its highest level in nearly four years, indicating the US labor market is growing stagnant.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stagnant
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Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
All other sectors either lost or remained stagnant.
—Eli Amdur, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Following a stagnant third quarter, La Jolla’s offense put the game in the hands of Diehl.
—Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
Job growth slowed to a crawl in August, and the unemployment rate rose to its highest level in nearly four years, indicating the US labor market is growing stagnant.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stagnant
Cite this Entry
“Stagnant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagnant. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stagnant
adjective
stag·nant
ˈstag-nənt
1
: not flowing in a current or stream : motionless
2
: not active or brisk
stagnant business
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