STAGNATION Synonyms: 19 Similar and Opposite Words

stagnation

noun

Definition of stagnation

as in recession

a lack of activity or development and especially economic development After years of economic stagnation, employment numbers began to rise.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of stagnation But the data shows neither problem can be blamed solely on immigration, but rather years of economic stagnation and government mismanagement. — Kate Bartlett, NPR, 25 June 2026 The former Scottish oil capital has suffered thousands of job losses and economic stagnation following the oil industry’s decline and has struggled to build the same momentum in offshore wind and hydrogen. — Heather Farmbrough, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 In the long run, high national debt will likely lead to higher borrowing costs, wage stagnation, and more expensive goods and services, according to the Government Accountability Office. — Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 24 June 2026 Fatigue with the stagnation inherent in contemporary democratic institutions is among the key factors that make the promise to break through intransigence by autocratic leaders attractive to a plurality of voters. — Wendell Wallach, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for stagnation

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagnation

Noun

America’s centennial in 1876 was celebrated with a grand exhibition that projected an image of national unity and inventiveness in the anxious aftermath of civil war and recession.

— The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
The Foundation attributes the stagnation in Millennial incomes directly to the timing of recession entry.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 July 2026

Definition of recession

Noun

The pair went all the way down to a 43-mile-wide and 1,500-mile-long depression in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench, known as the Challenger Deep.

— Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
The victim's mother also addressed the jury, blaming Rullan for her son's depression and anxiety and describing the emotional toll the abuse had taken on their family.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of depression

Browse Nearby Words

stagnating

stagnation

stagnations

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Stagnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagnation. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of stagnation

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on stagnation

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes