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
Even if La Liga’s rights were to remain stagnant between now and the deal’s end in 2047, Barca’s relinquished TV money would total €1billion — 50 per cent more than the amount the club received for selling the rights in 2022.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The film that reignited the parody genre after a stagnant decade-plus, Scary Movie grossed $278 million worldwide and launched a new era of gross-chasing for Dimension Films.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
That includes a stagnant running game that has yet to produce a 100-yard game for any player, setting the stage for a race to avoid the cellar this weekend.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The 24-year-old had many memorable moments on Sunday, with his 59-yard catch and run in the third quarter proving a galvanizing one for a stagnant Packers offense at that point.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stagnant
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Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The film that reignited the parody genre after a stagnant decade-plus, Scary Movie grossed $278 million worldwide and launched a new era of gross-chasing for Dimension Films.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
That includes a stagnant running game that has yet to produce a 100-yard game for any player, setting the stage for a race to avoid the cellar this weekend.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The 24-year-old had many memorable moments on Sunday, with his 59-yard catch and run in the third quarter proving a galvanizing one for a stagnant Packers offense at that point.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stagnant
Cite this Entry
“Stagnant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagnant. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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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