stagnant
adjective
stag·nant
ˈstag-nənt 
1
a(1)
: not flowing in a current or stream
stagnant water
(2)
: without inflow and outflow
a stagnant pool
b
: stale
long disuse had made the air stagnant and foul—
Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker2
: not advancing or developing
a stagnant economy
stagnantly
adverb
Examples of stagnant in a Sentence
… many people who make their living in academia are reasonably well insulated from financial devastation. For most tenured faculty, the worst they are likely to experience is stagnant pay and deferred retirement.
—Andrew Delbanco, The New York Review of Books, 14 May 2009
"For adults, entertainment needs to be relevant to their life." Chen points to the stagnant US comic book industry as an example of irrelevance. "I don't want to see video games become like American superhero comics," he admits. "American comics live and die based on a very niche audience. In Japan, comics are a national art form."
—Sid Shuman, Gamepro, May 2009
The blue-green algae blooms can occur in both freshwater and saltwater environments, but are most commonly found in stagnant bodies of water enriched by runoff, Paerl said. Public health officials in the southeastern United States are beginning to monitor water supplies for some of the toxins.
—Bridget M. Kuehn, Journal of the American Medical Association, 25 May 2005
Andrew Delbanco, The New York Review of Books, 14 May 2009
"For adults, entertainment needs to be relevant to their life." Chen points to the stagnant US comic book industry as an example of irrelevance. "I don't want to see video games become like American superhero comics," he admits. "American comics live and die based on a very niche audience. In Japan, comics are a national art form."
—Sid Shuman, Gamepro, May 2009
The blue-green algae blooms can occur in both freshwater and saltwater environments, but are most commonly found in stagnant bodies of water enriched by runoff, Paerl said. Public health officials in the southeastern United States are beginning to monitor water supplies for some of the toxins.
—Bridget M. Kuehn, Journal of the American Medical Association, 25 May 2005
Recent Examples on the Web
Then their offense went stagnant, and the Mavs used a 14-0 run to open an 81-73 lead.
—Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 24 Apr. 2024
But seeing China through this simple lens ignores the fact that even a stagnant China can cause serious problems for Washington, economically and strategically.
—Evan S. Medeiros, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
The plan — a 25-mile commuter rail line running from uptown Charlotte to Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson and Mooresville first proposed in 2008 — sat stagnant for years due to a lack of access to critical railroad tracks and uncertainty about how to fund the project.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2024
In Southern California, the unfortunate amalgamation of soaring housing prices, stagnant household incomes and high mortgage interest rates have created the most unaffordable housing market in recent years.
—Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Between the stress of a travel day, intense exposure to UV rays, and stagnant plane air, flying makes your skin become incredibly dry and sensitive.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024
On top of what looks to be a stagnant year ahead, not everyone is hopeful for what Tesla has in the pipeline.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2024
Those city residents have lost ground through a combination of stagnant earnings and a 14% increase in electric bills over the past two years.
—Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2024
Mosquitos buzz in, emerging from eggs laid in stagnant water across the region.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 6 Apr. 2024
Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 24 Apr. 2024
But seeing China through this simple lens ignores the fact that even a stagnant China can cause serious problems for Washington, economically and strategically.
—Evan S. Medeiros, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
The plan — a 25-mile commuter rail line running from uptown Charlotte to Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson and Mooresville first proposed in 2008 — sat stagnant for years due to a lack of access to critical railroad tracks and uncertainty about how to fund the project.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2024
In Southern California, the unfortunate amalgamation of soaring housing prices, stagnant household incomes and high mortgage interest rates have created the most unaffordable housing market in recent years.
—Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Between the stress of a travel day, intense exposure to UV rays, and stagnant plane air, flying makes your skin become incredibly dry and sensitive.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024
On top of what looks to be a stagnant year ahead, not everyone is hopeful for what Tesla has in the pipeline.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2024
Those city residents have lost ground through a combination of stagnant earnings and a 14% increase in electric bills over the past two years.
—Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2024
Mosquitos buzz in, emerging from eggs laid in stagnant water across the region.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 6 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stagnant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stagnant
Cite this Entry
“Stagnant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagnant. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stagnant
adjective
stag·nant
ˈstag-nənt
1
: not flowing in a current or stream : motionless
2
: not active or brisk
stagnant business
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