What does stagnant mean?
Word: Stagnant
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Stagnant means not flowing or moving, and often smelling bad (of water or air); not growing or developing (of business or ideas).
Synonyms: still, motionless, sluggish, stale
Antonyms: flowing, fresh, growing
Word origin: From Latin stagnum, 'a pool'.
How do you spell stagnant?
Syllables: stag - nant
Tricky part: The g and the n sit side by side in the middle; students who blur them write stagant.
Watch out for: stagant, stagnat
Memory tip: Picture a stag standing in a still pond: the word starts with the stag.
Stagnant in a sentence
Example 1: The town's economy stayed stagnant for years after the mill closed.
Example 2: A green film covered the stagnant pond behind the old railway station.
Example 3: Open the windows; the air in this storeroom is stagnant.
Fun Fact
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water, which is why health workers ask people to empty coolers, pots and old tyres during the monsoon.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
stagn_ _ _
a) unt
b) ant
c) ent
d) int
Show answer
b) ant. Like the Latin stagnans it comes from, the word ends in -ant.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its antonym:
1. stagnant 2. lenient 3. tranquil a. turbulent b. strict c. thriving
a) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
b) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
d) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
Show answer
d) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a. A stagnant business is the opposite of a thriving one, a lenient rule is not strict, and tranquil is the reverse of turbulent.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
gnatsnat
a) full of sharp, jagged edges
b) very old and falling apart
c) shining brightly in the sun
d) left standing so long that it turns murky and smelly
Show answer
d) left standing so long that it turns murky and smelly. The eight letters make the word used for still, stale water.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) stagnant : stagnation
b) elegant : eleganse
c) brilliant : brilliance
d) vacant : vacancy
Show answer
b) elegant : eleganse. Elegance ends in -ance with a c, just as brilliance does; the other three pairs are spelt correctly.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where are you most likely to find stagnant water?
a) in a blocked drain
b) under a waterfall
c) in a running tap
d) in a mountain stream
Show answer
a) in a blocked drain
2. A town's economy has been stagnant for five years. Which is probably true?
a) everyone has moved into the town
b) prices have doubled every year
c) new factories open every month
d) few new shops or jobs have opened
Show answer
d) few new shops or jobs have opened
