stagnant
[ stag-nuhnt ]
adjective
not flowing or running, as water, air, etc.
stale or foul from standing, as a pool of water.
characterized by lack of development, advancement, or progressive movement: a stagnant economy.
inactive, sluggish, or dull.
Origin of stagnant
1First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin stāgnant-, stem of stāgnāns “forming a pool,” present participle of stāgnāre “to form a pool of standing water, be inundated”; see stagnate
Other words for stagnant
Other words from stagnant
- stag·nan·cy, stagnance, noun
- stag·nant·ly, adverb
- un·stag·nant, adjective
- un·stag·nant·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for stagnant
stagnant
/ (ˈstæɡnənt) /
adjective
(of water, etc) standing still; without flow or current
brackish and foul from standing still
stale, sluggish, or dull from inaction
not growing or developing; static
Origin of stagnant
1C17: from Latin stagnāns, from stagnāre to be stagnant, from stagnum a pool
Derived forms of stagnant
- stagnancy or stagnance, noun
- stagnantly, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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