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

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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

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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”; stagnate

Example Sentences

The good news is that the job market isn’t as stagnant as many feared, as private employers returned to hiring in January.

From The Wall Street Journal

Domestic investment has been stagnant for a decade, while foreign direct investment has fallen for the last four years.

From The Wall Street Journal

The move is among the first strategic decisions made by new chief executive Michael Fiddelke, who was named to lead last year as the firm wrestled to reverse more than four years of stagnant sales.

From BBC

It sits close to Russia, lacks nuclear weapons of its own and has a stagnant economy that relies heavily on exports.

From The Wall Street Journal

An emphatic victory for Takaichi and her Liberal Democratic Party would cement her grip on power and embolden her to pursue her vision of revitalizing Japan’s economy and raising stagnant incomes with aggressive fiscal spending.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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