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stagnant

[ stag-nuhnt ]
/ ˈstég nənt /
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adjective
not flowing or running, as water, air, etc.
stale or foul from standing, as a pool of water.
characterized by lack of development, advancement, or progressive movement: a stagnant economy.
inactive, sluggish, or dull.
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Origin of stagnant

1660–70; <Latin stāgnant- (stem of stāgnāns), present participle of stāgnāre to stagnate; see -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM stagnant

stag·nan·cy, stagnance, nounstag·nant·ly, adverbun·stag·nant, adjectiveun·stag·nant·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use stagnant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stagnant

stagnant
/ (ˈstéɡnənt) /

adjective
(of water, etc) standing still; without flow or current
brackish and foul from standing still
stale, sluggish, or dull from inaction
not growing or developing; static

Derived forms of stagnant

stagnancy or stagnance, nounstagnantly, adverb

Word Origin for stagnant

C17: from Latin stagnāns, from stagnāre to be stagnant, from stagnum a pool
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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