stagnant

stagnant — adjective

1. describes water or air that does not move for a long time, so that it becomes di

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes water or air that does not move for a long time, so that it becomes dirty and begins to smell bad

Example

The pond in the park turned stagnant after weeks of hot, dry weather.

Hamza emptied the old flower pots to stop mosquitoes from breeding in stagnant water.

collocation: stagnant water

Common collocations
  • stagnant water
  • stagnant air
  • stagnant pond
  • stagnant puddle
  • stagnant pool
Synonyms
  • still

    neutral term for unmoving water; does not imply dirt or smell

  • stale

    used specifically for air that smells old or stuffy

  • foul

    emphasises the bad smell rather than the lack of movement

Antonyms
  • flowing

    describes water that moves naturally

  • fresh

    describes air or water that is clean and pleasant

Usage Note

Commonly describes bodies of still water (ponds, puddles, blocked drains) or indoor air in spaces with no ventilation.

Common Mistakes

The river was stagnant after the storm.
The pond was stagnant after weeks without rain.
Rivers naturally flow; stagnant describes still, unmoving water like ponds or puddles.
Food left on the counter became stagnant.
Food left on the counter went bad.
Stagnant applies to air and water, not to food or objects.

2. failing to show improvement or new activity over a period of time, especially in

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

failing to show improvement or new activity over a period of time, especially in business, the economy, or a person's career

Example

The local economy remained stagnant for three years, with no new businesses opening.

collocation: stagnant economy

After five years in the same role, Aoi felt her career had become stagnant.

collocation: stagnant career

Common collocations
  • stagnant economy
  • stagnant market
  • stagnant career
  • stagnant wages
  • stagnant growth
Synonyms
  • sluggish

    implies slow movement rather than a complete halt; often used for markets or sales

  • static

    emphasises a complete lack of change; more neutral in tone

  • moribund

    formal and stronger; suggests something is close to dying out

Antonyms
  • growing

    describes something that is increasing in size or activity

  • dynamic

    suggests continuous positive change and energy

  • thriving

    implies strong health and success

Usage Note

Subject is typically an abstract noun such as economy, market, industry, career, wages, or relationship — things normally expected to show change or growth over time.

Common Mistakes

He felt stagnant after running for an hour.
He felt stagnant in his career after five years without a promotion.
Stagnant describes a lack of progress or development, not physical tiredness.

Word family

  • stagnate
    verbB2
  • stagnation
    nounB2
  • stagnancy
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

Stagnant, sluggish, static, and dormant all describe a lack of activity or change, but their connotations differ. Stagnant (from Latin stagnum, 'pool of standing water') carries the strongest negative implication — something that should be moving or growing has stopped and may be decaying, as in a stagnant career or stagnant economy. Sluggish suggests slow, effortful movement rather than a complete halt — a sluggish market still has some sales, just fewer than expected. Static is neutral and analytical, describing a flat line with no upward or downward change. Dormant implies a temporary pause before expected renewal, like a dormant volcano or dormant savings account. Use stagnant when the situation feels stuck and unhealthy; use sluggish for slow-but-alive activity; use static for describing a flat rate or figure; use dormant when you expect things to pick up again later. For example: 'The economy was stagnant, with rising unemployment' vs 'Sales were sluggish but not terrible' vs 'Prices remained static all quarter' vs 'The project lay dormant until funding arrived.'

stagnant ↗sluggishstatic ↗dormant

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • remain stagnant
  • become stagnant
  • stay stagnant
  • turn stagnant

Prepositions

  • stagnant for (a period of time)

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Stagnant comes from the Latin word stagnans, meaning 'standing water' or 'a pool'. This was the present participle of stagnare ('to form a pool of standing water'), which itself came from stagnum ('a pool or swamp'). The word entered English in the mid-1600s first describing still, smelly water, and by the 1700s it was already being used figuratively for anything that had stopped growing or developing.