stagnation

American  

[stag-ney-shuhn] / stægˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the state or condition of stagnating, or having stopped, as by ceasing to run or flow.

   Meteorologists forecast ozone and air stagnation.

2. a foulness or staleness, as one emanating from a standing pool of water.

3. a failure to develop, progress, or advance.

   periods of economic stagnation followed by bursts of growth.

4. the state or quality of being or feeling sluggish and dull.

   Happily, they have been able to avoid stagnation in their ten-year marriage.

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Etymology

Origin of stagnation

stagn(ate) + -ation

Explanation

Stagnation is the state of being still, or not moving, like a sitting puddle of water where stagnation attracts mosquitoes. The root of stagnation is the Latin word for "standing water," stagnatum. The stagnation of water can be a serious problem in parts of the world where mosquitoes spread diseases like malaria, or where there is a shortage of drinkable water. There are also other kinds of stagnation, or inactivity — like a struggling country's economic stagnation or a writer's mental stagnation that results in writer's block.

Example Sentences

But President Nixon’s resignation, economic stagnation and the Vietnam War had caused Americans’ faith in government to waver.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

An analyst notes Nvidia’s stock stagnation as market attention shifts to CPUs and electricity as bottlenecks.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

But at 76, Almodóvar shows no signs of slowing down or creative stagnation.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

As a result of the war, German industry faces stagnation at best this year, the country’s BDI industrial association said last month, with the conflict creating additional uncertainty and strain for companies.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

The stagnation that I so fervently glean on a daily basis seems an epidemic that only grows.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• sluggishness