stagnate

[stag-neyt]

verb (used without object)

stagnated, stagnating 

1. to cease to run or flow, as water, air, etc.

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

3. to stop developing, growing, progressing, or advancing.

   My mind is stagnating from too much TV.

4. to be or become sluggish and dull.

   When the leading lady left, the show started to stagnate.

verb (used with object)

stagnated, stagnating 

1. to make stagnant.

stagnate

/ stæɡˈneɪt, ˈstæɡˌneɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to be or to become stagnant

Other Word Forms

• stagnation noun
• stagnatory adjective
• unstagnating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stagnate¹

1660–70; < Latin stāgnātus (past participle of stāgnāre ), equivalent to stāgn ( um ) pool of standing water + -ātus -ate ¹

Example Sentences

The lender’s failure has also raised concerns that lower-income consumers are struggling to afford payments as wages stagnate and unemployment ticks higher.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

EV growth stagnated in the U.S. partly because of high sticker prices but consumers raced to buy the vehicles ahead of the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit at the end of September.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Before the industrial revolution, economic growth stagnated for centuries.

Read more on Barron's

That trick does give you the lowest possible growth rate, so it’s an effective way to “prove” that U.S. incomes stagnated over the past few decades.

Read more on MarketWatch

Now, more are falling behind on their loans, signaling that lower-income consumers are struggling to afford payments as wages stagnate and unemployment ticks higher.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• fester 
• hibernate 
• languish 
• stall 
• stand still www.thesaurus.com