stagnant
Americanadjective
-
(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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stagnant
First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin stāgnant-, stem of stāgnāns “forming a pool,” present participle of stāgnāre “to form a pool of standing water, be inundated”; see stagnate
Explanation
There is a tone to the word stagnant that sounds like what it is: lacking movement, stale, and inactive, especially with exaggerated pronunciation, "staaaagnant." Stagnant came into use in the 17th century as a description for water or air that wasn't moving or circulating, like in a scum-covered pond or a closed-off room. Often things that are stagnant also have a smell from sitting too long in one place. Not that this happens to everyone, but sitting in front of a TV playing video games without moving more than the fingers can make a person stagnant, sometimes with an accompanying odor.
Vocabulary lists containing stagnant
List 1
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Esperanza Rising
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Vocabulary from the Third and Final Presidential Debate, October 19, 2016
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He was selected to oversee what remained of the Morale Branch’s library program, which had grown largely stagnant since the mid-1920s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
All the while, what he earns for some crops is largely stagnant or, worse, has fallen.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
"Because of the stagnant water and the fact that the water wasn't travelling anywhere, we were going past them every day in exactly the same spot."
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
It’s a thorny thicket that can keep us stagnant at the pivotal moments requiring the most courage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The drumming ebbs and flows, comes to a crescendo before stopping completely; then I am stagnant water again.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
