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Definition of stagnant

stagnant

/ˈstæɡ.nənt/
stag · nant
Adverb:stagnantly
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stagnant Lexical Profile

stagnant Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Showing no activity, growth, or development; dull and sluggish.

Example

"After years of stagnant wages and rising living costs, many workers began looking for new career opportunities."

2

Having no current or flow and often having an unpleasant smell or foul quality as a consequence (of a body of water or the atmosphere of a confined space).

Example

"Mosquitoes breed rapidly in the warm, stagnant water collecting in old tires and clogged gutters."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Nearby Words

staghorn sumac
staging
stagnancy
stagnant
stagnantly
stagnate
stagnation

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the 17th century from Latin stagnans, the present participle of stagnare ('to form a pool of standing water'), from stagnum ('pool, swamp, or standing water').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Stagnant. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/stagnant
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