stagnate

verb

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

intransitive verb

: to become or remain stagnant
a puddle of stagnating water
wages stagnated

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 European market is still stagnating at sales nearly 4 million short of its pre-Covid high. — Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Average incomes had stagnated for almost seven years, which led to weak domestic demand, as per local media reports. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 25 June 2026 Single-income households with kids under 18 have steadily declined as wages have stagnated, forcing both parents into the workforce. — Aarushi Bhandari, The Conversation, 19 June 2026 Since the Fed hiked rates aggressively to fight post-COVID inflation, home sales and construction have stagnated. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 20 June 2026 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

Rhymes for stagnate

See All Rhymes for stagnate

Browse Nearby Words

stagnant
stagnate
stagnation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stagnate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagnate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

stagnate

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

More from Merriam-Webster on stagnate

Nglish: Translation of stagnate for Spanish Speakers

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