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
Matthew Rhys plays mayor Tom Loftis who so badly wants to turn his economically stagnant town into the next Martha’s Vineyard.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
As the launch team told Poets and Writers, Lost Kite is also a response to stagnant conditions in the publishing industry.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
But Connor Yakaitis, the deputy director at CTLVC, said the region’s struggles with high energy costs weren’t simply the result of stagnant supply and rising demand.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
If anything, this transit is here to expose where our thought process, immediate surroundings and inner dialogue have become stagnant.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagnant
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
As the launch team told Poets and Writers, Lost Kite is also a response to stagnant conditions in the publishing industry.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
But Connor Yakaitis, the deputy director at CTLVC, said the region’s struggles with high energy costs weren’t simply the result of stagnant supply and rising demand.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
If anything, this transit is here to expose where our thought process, immediate surroundings and inner dialogue have become stagnant.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagnant
Cite this Entry
“Stagnant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagnant. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
