stagnant

[stag-nuhnt]

adjective

1. not flowing or running, as water, air, etc.

2. stale or foul from standing, as a pool of water.

3. characterized by lack of development, advancement, or progressive movement.

   a stagnant economy.

4. inactive, sluggish, or dull.

   Synonyms: lazy, inert, dead, lifeless, dormant

stagnant

/ ˈstæɡnənt /

adjective

1. (of water, etc) standing still; without flow or current

2. brackish and foul from standing still

3. stale, sluggish, or dull from inaction

4. not growing or developing; static

Other Word Forms

• stagnancy noun
• stagnance noun
• stagnantly adverb
• unstagnant adjective
• unstagnantly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of stagnant¹

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”; stagnate

Word History and Origins

Origin of stagnant¹

C17: from Latin stagnāns , from stagnāre to be stagnant, from stagnum a pool

Example Sentences

It marks a difficult start for the conservative politician who ran on bold pledges of reviving the stagnant economy, overhauling the threadbare military and toughening immigration policy after years of drift under the previous government.

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A stagnant remodeling and repair market has also weighed on the company’s sales.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In recent months, though, a harsher economic reality has set in: Rising student-loan payments, stagnant wage growth and rising health-insurance costs have bumped burritos down younger consumers’ priority lists.

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This shift is influenced by China’s economic slowdown, including high youth unemployment and stagnant wage growth, leading to a search for comfort.

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“We remain stagnant in meat production, milk production, grain production,” because of export taxes.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• dormant 
• idle 
• inactive 
• lifeless 
• listless 
• sluggish 
• static 
• stationary