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

More construction would help, but remember that California added half a million new homes over the past eight years as its population essentially stagnated. — Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 13 July 2026

Over the past 20 years, student outcomes across the world have stagnated or declined—and this coincides with the time that edtech was introduced into schools. — Al Kingsley Mbe, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

But his latest novel, in its shortcomings, only strengthens the case that noir will stagnate if it isn’t perpetually refreshed by new generations. — Carolyn Kellogg, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

And the Russian economy is already stagnating, even as defense spending continues to rise. — Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 6 July 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