stagnant

American  

[stag-nuhnt] / ˈstæg nənt /

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 British  

/ 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

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

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.

Example Sentences

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has ascended and she remained stagnant in polls following Swalwell’s exit, Porter has increasingly sought to redeem her image.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

They were down 12% in 2026 through Tuesday’s close, dragged lower by concerns about stagnant bottom-line growth and macroeconomic headwinds that could weigh on theme-park attendance.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

While Meta’s revenue is growing fast now—it rose 33% in the first quarter—its user growth has been relatively stagnant.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Hannah Pedone and Aditi Shrikant looked into the prospects of an increasing number of corporate buyout offers in a stagnant labor market.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

Outside it was cooler, a breeze cutting through the stagnant air.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Related Words

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