stagnant

S1T1A1G2N1A1N1T1
/ˈstæɡnənt/

adjective

Lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy; decaying through stillness.

“Their love had turned stagnant.”

Similar
motionlessstalestandingstilldeadmoribundundynamicadynamic
OriginFrench stagnant ← Latin stagnans →
Less commonScrabble 9
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Meanings

adjectivestagnant (comparative more stagnant, superlative most stagnant)

comparative more stagnant · superlative most stagnant

  1. Lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy; decaying through stillness.

    a stagnant pool    stagnant water

    Synonyms: motionless, stale, standing, still

  2. figurativelyWithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner; inactive, stale.

    Their love had turned stagnant.

    1 more example

    a stagnant economy    stagnant prices

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveLacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy; decaying through stillness.

Similar
motionlessstalestandingstill

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivenot circulating or flowing

Similar
deadstanding

adjectivenot growing or changing; without force or vitality

Similar
moribundundynamicadynamic
Also see
adynamicdeadmoribundstandingundynamic

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinstagnans
  2. Frenchstagnant
  3. Englishstagnant

From French stagnant, from Latin stagnans, present participle of stagno (“to form a pool of standing water”).

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian застоял
  • застоял (zastojal)lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Catalan estancat
  • estancatlacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Chinese Mandarin 停滯的 /停滞的, 停滯不前的 /停滞不前的
  • 停滯的 /停滞的 (tíngzhì de)lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
  • 停滯不前的 /停滞不前的 (tíngzhì bù qián de)without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Finnish seisova, pysähtynyt
  • seisovalacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
  • pysähtynytwithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
  • seisahtunutwithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
  • paikallaan pysyväwithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
  • paikalleen jäänytwithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
  • muuttumatonwithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
  • ummehtunutwithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
German abgestanden, stagnierend
  • abgestandenlacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
  • stagnierendwithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Irish marbhánta
  • marbhántawithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Māori piro, whakaroau
  • pirolacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
  • whakaroaulacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Polish bezczynny, w zastoju
  • bezczynnywithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
  • w zastojuwithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Romanian stagnant
  • stagnantwithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Russian застоявшийся
  • застоявшийся (zastojavšijsja)lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Spanish estancado, inmovilista
  • estancadolacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
  • inmovilistawithout activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Swedish stagnerande, stillastående
  • stagnerandelacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
  • stillaståendelacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
  • statisklacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Cite this entry
APA

stagnant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stagnant

MLA

“stagnant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stagnant. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stagnant,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stagnant.

Source: stagnant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.