adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈstæɡnənt/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S T AE1 G N AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy; decaying through stillness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a stagnant pool stagnant water
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: motionless, stale, standing, still
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner; inactive, stale.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
a stagnant economy stagnant prices
Their love had turned stagnant.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
not growing or changing; without force or vitality
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: moribund
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
not circulating or flowing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
dead air
dead water
stagnant water
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: dead(a)
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From French stagnant, from Latin stagnans, present participle of stagno (“to form a pool of standing water”).
Across languages
Translations
26 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
застоял
(zastojal)
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Catalan:
estancat
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Chinese Mandarin:
停滯的 /停滞的
(tíngzhì de)
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Finnish:
seisova
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
German:
abgestanden
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Māori:
piro
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Māori:
whakaroau
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Russian:
застоявшийся
(zastojavšijsja)
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Spanish:
estancado
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Spanish:
atascado
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Swedish:
stagnerande
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Swedish:
stillastående
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Swedish:
statisk
— lacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy
Chinese Mandarin:
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:
pysähtynyt
— without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Finnish:
seisahtunut
— without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Finnish:
paikallaan pysyvä
— without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Finnish:
paikalleen jäänyt
— without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Finnish:
muuttumaton
— without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Finnish:
ummehtunut
— without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
German:
stagnierend
— without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Irish:
marbhánta
— without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Polish:
bezczynny
— without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Polish:
w zastoju
— without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Romanian:
stagnant
— without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
Spanish:
inmovilista
— without activity, change or progress, or excitement in an unhealthy manner
