stagnate

verb

stag·​nate ˈstag-ˌnāt How to pronounce stagnate (audio)
stagnated; stagnating

intransitive verb

: to become or remain stagnant

Examples of stagnate in a Sentence

a puddle of stagnating water
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The Knicks offense stagnated once again in their seventh game without the captain, the second leg of a road back-to-back on Thursday, failing to reach just barely reaching the century mark in a 115-98 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2025 Consequently, as the US population expanded, the number of physicians stagnated. Spencer Dorn, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025 This finding is consistent with data showing median household income largely stagnating after 2000 and the typical male worker now having to work the equivalent of 62 weeks per year (yes, more than 52 weeks) to afford the same middle-class essentials 40 weeks of work would have covered in 1985. David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025 Germany’s economy has stagnated for the past five years, and most of Merz’s solutions to that seem to come at the expense of workers or the environment: reducing unemployment benefits, creating incentives for Germans to work longer hours, and rolling back climate regulation. Joseph De Weck, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stagnate

Word History

Etymology

Latin stagnatus, past participle of stagnare, from stagnum body of standing water

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stagnate was in 1661

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stagnate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagnate. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

stagnate

verb
stag·​nate ˈstag-ˌnāt How to pronounce stagnate (audio)
stagnated; stagnating
: to be or become stagnant
stagnation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on stagnate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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