stagnate

verb

stag·​nate ˈstag-ˌnāt How to pronounce stagnate (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the mid-nineties, as South Korea’s explosive economic growth began to stagnate, President Kim Young-sam’s Administration made a big bet on the culture industries, passing legislation to help enliven the country’s artistic production. Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026 With unemployment rising, hopes of lowering inflation stagnating and yet another interest rate cut pause from the Federal Reserve, there were few signs of interest rate relief in the month. Matt Richardson, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026 The disparity is worsened by the fact that real average hourly earnings in the state’s private sector have largely stagnated and were even slightly lower in 2025 than before the pandemic, the Oxfam report pointed out. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026 Container traffic has stagnated, and tracked cargo saw a double-digit decline for the fiscal year through February. Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stagnate

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stagnate was in 1661

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stagnate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagnate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

stagnate

verb
stag·​nate ˈstag-ˌnāt How to pronounce stagnate (audio)
stagnated; stagnating
: to be or become stagnant
stagnation noun

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