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

Summary Bitcoin and crypto prices have stagnated in 2026, with Bitcoin trading sideways around $60,000 after a 50% crash. — Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

An 8-5 record in year one did little to quell those grumblings, and the recruiting was stagnating behind other SEC rivals like Alabama and LSU. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026

That’s because the loyal Republican opposition is stagnating in the Land of Lincoln. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

The city’s vouchers for the Community Cat Program have stagnated compared with vouchers for individuals with pets, Naitaki said, leading to explosive kitten seasons like this year. — Hailey Wang, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 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