CAPITULO IV DE LOS PRODUCTOS
DE LAS INFRACCIONES Y MULTAS
to make a story more interesting by fabricating or exaggerating entertaining details; to decorate; Paul always embellishes his stories with false intrigue.
Form: embellishment = a decorative detail; a detail added to a story to make it more entertaining Synonyms: festoon, gild, embroider
⧠ eradicate (v) e- out + radix root
to eliminate completely : By the 1960s, the Polk vaccine had virtually eradicated polio in North America.
Form: eradicable = capable of being completely destroyed
Root family: [radic] radical (affecting fundamental change), radish (a pungent edible root) Synonyms: annihilate, abolish
⧠ hyperbole (n) hyper above, beyond
exaggeration for persuasive effect: The author’s claim that there was a “literacy crisis” in America was dismissed as hyperbole.
Form: hyperbolic = exaggerated
Root family: [hyper] hyperactive (excessively active), hyperventilate (to breathe too quickly) Don’t confuse with: hyperbola (a two-part geometric curve).
Mnemonic: It’s interesting to note that three of the “conic sections” you may have studied in math class—the ellipse, the
hyperbola, and the parabola—correspond to three literary terms:
• ellipsis (elleipein to leave out) = the omission of language from a quotation or of words that are implied in a sentence, or the
symbol (…) indicating such an omission
• hyperbole (huperbole excess) = exaggerated comments
• parable (parabola comparison) = a story used to illustrate a moral lesson
The names of the curves are derived from their “eccentricities”: a conic with an eccentricity less than 1 is “deficient,” hence the name “ellipse”; a conic with an eccentricity greater than 1 is “excessive,” hence the name “hyperbola”; and a conic with an eccentricity of exactly 1 is “comparable,” hence the name “parabola.”
⧠ indulgent (adj)
excessively generous or lenient : Her mother was strict, but her grandmother was indulgent.
Forms: indulge (in) = allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of, indulgence = an act of indulging Don’t confuse with: indolent (lazy)
⧠ superfluous (adj) super above + fluere to flow
unnecessary, excessive : After a week of celebrations, the anniversary ball seemed superfluous.
Form: superfluity = an excessive amount
Root family: [super] insuperable (impossible to overcome), superlative (of the highest degree or quality), superficial (on the
surface only), supercilious (haughty and pompous)
Root family: [flu] fluent (able to flow freely; easily conversant in a language or field), affluent (wealthy), confluence (a place
where two things flow together)
⧠ unstinting (adj)
without reservations; given liberally : She was unstinting in her support for animal rights.
Form: stint = to give only sparingly
Synonyms: unsparing, magnanimous, munificent, profuse
Mnemonic: The verbs stint, stump and stunt (to retard the progress of, as in Smoking stunts your growth.) derive from the same
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8
The Language of care and resTraInT
⧠ ameliorate (v)
to make a situation better : The recent highway improvements have done much to ameliorate many of commuters’ biggest concerns.
Synonym: mitigate
Don’t confuse with: emancipate (to free from bondage) Usage: See usage note at mitigate in section 17.
Mnemonic: Imagine Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh who finally gets a cake after he thinks everyone has forgotten his
birthday. The cake is a meal Eeyore ate which ameliorated his depression.
⧠ assuage (v)
to make something unpleasant less intense : The news story was intended to sensationalize the epidemic rather than assuage people’s fears about it.
Synonyms: mitigate, palliate, attenuate, allay, ameliorate
Don’t confuse with: dissuade (to persuade someone not to do something) Usage: See usage note at mitigate in section 17.
⧠ curtail (v) curtus short
to cut back; to impose a restriction on an activity : The library committee decided to curtail its expenses until it balanced its budget.
Synonyms: pare, retrench, curb Root family: [curt] curt (rudely abrupt)
Mnemonic: If you cut off the tail of a beaver, it will really curtail its abilities.
⧠ equanimity (n) equa same + anima spirit, mind
evenness of temper : During the lockdown drill, our teacher’s equanimity helped assuage the fears of several students.
Synonyms: composure, imperturbability, sangfroid, equability
Root family: [equa, equi-] equilateral (having equal sides), equilibrium (a state of balance between opposing forces
or trends)
Root family: [anim] magnanimous (generous), pusillanimous (cowardly) Don’t confuse with: equity (fairness)
⧠ fastidious (adj)
showing great attention to details, particularly in matters of cleanliness : Julia is fastidious about her food, making sure that the vegetables never touch the meat on her plate.
Forms: fastidiousness = the quality of being fastidious Synonyms: scrupulous, meticulous, punctilious Usage: See usage note at scrupulous in this section.
⧠ impassive (adj) in- not + passivus suffered
unemotional; calm : Despite all the turmoil, Randall was able to remain impassive.
Form: impassivity = a state of calmness and restraint from emotion
Synonyms: stoic, dispassionate, forbearing, phlegmatic, stolid
Root family: [in-, im-] insipid (flavorless), insuperable (impossible to overcome), inert (lacking vigor), interminable
(unending), indefatigable (untiring), inscrutable (beyond understanding), incongruous (not consistent with expectations)
Don’t confuse with: impassioned (passionate), impasse (deadlock; point beyond which passage is impossible)
Mnemonic/Usage: Strangely, impassive and passive are closer to being synonyms than antonyms. As they are most
commonly used, both suggest a lack of activity or emotion. To make things even more confusing, the similar-sounding words
passionate and impassioned, while also seeming to be opposites of each other, actually both mean “full of emotion,” essen-
tially the opposite of impassive or passive. If this distinction is vexing for you, remember that a sieve lets things pass through,
so the –sive words, passive and impassive, describe someone who lets things pass easily, without getting too emotional
about them.
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⧠ nonchalant (adj)
calm and unconcerned, often inappropriately so : My lab partner took a nonchalant approach to the experiment and almost caused a dangerous explosion.
Form: nonchalance = lack of concern or enthusiasm
Synonyms: blithe, blasé, dispassionate, apathetic, indifferent, insouciant
Usage: A nonchalant person is usually putting on airs, but a blithe person is innocently unself-conscious. One who is
blasé has usually become jaded to the point of indifference. One who is dispassionate is adopting a neutral attitude in order to
render an objective judgment. One who is apathetic typically has neither airs, innocence, nor judicious motive.
⧠ parsimony (n) parcere to be sparing
extreme reluctance to spend money, use unnecessary language, or expend resources : Mastering the art of haiku requires mastering the art of parsimony.
Form: parsimonious (adj) = extremely reluctant to spend money, use unnecessary language, or expend resources
⧠ placid (adj) placere to please
[1] (of a person or animal) calm and unexcitable : I chose to ride the most placid horse. [2] (of a place) calm and peaceful : The chateau was a placid retreat from the city.
Forms: placidity (n) = calmness; peacefulness
Root family: [plac] placate, implacable (unable to be pleased), complacent
Don’t confuse with: passive (permitting things to happen without resistance or involvement), platitude (a trite proverb)
⧠ refurbish (v)
to renovate; to restore to good condition : David studied for weeks to refurbish his conversational Italian before traveling to Rome.
Don’t confuse with: refurnish (to restock with furniture)
⧠ rejuvenate (v) juvenis young
to restore the vitality of : She felt rejuvenated after her trip to the mountains.
Synonym: revitalize
Root family: [juven] juvenile (immature)
⧠ reticent (adj) re- (intensive) + tacere to be silent
unwilling to speak or express one’s feelings : When the conversation turned to her college years, Sheila became uncharacteristi- cally reticent.
Forms: reticence = unwillingness to speak or reveal one’s feelings or thoughts
Root family: [tice, tace] tacit (unspoken, but understood, as a tacit agreement), taciturn (quiet and reserved)
Usage: Do not confuse reticent with reluctant. For instance, He was reticent to talk about his experiences is redundant.
The correct phrasing is He was reluctant to talk about his experiences or He was reticent about his experiences.
⧠ scrupulous (adj)
[1] diligent and attentive to details : George is a scrupulous researcher.
Synonyms: meticulous, fastidious
[2] concerned with moral correctness : He is too scrupulous to consider cheating on his taxes.
Forms: scruples = concerns about moral rectitude, unscrupulous = lacking in moral character Don’t confuse with: scrutinize (to examine closely)
Usage: Scrupulous, meticulous, fastidious, and punctilious are nearly synonymous, but each offers a different shade of mean-
124 Mcgraw-hill education: saT
not necessarily about trivial things; fastidious suggests a precision born of a compulsive neatness; and punctilious suggests an
extreme attention to rules, such as etiquette.
Mnemonic: Think of the most precise and detailed-oriented person you know (or the most moral person you know) pulling on
a screw.
⧠ sedate (adj) sedere to sit
calm, to the point of being dull : Small-town life was too sedate for Maia.
Forms: sedate (v) = to calm or put to sleep with drugs, sedative = a drug used to sedate
Root family: [sed, sid] sedentary, dissident (one who opposes official policy), assiduous (hardworking), insidious (subtly dan-
gerous), preside (to sit in a position of authority), reside (to live in a particular location), sediment (material that settles to the
bottom of a liquid or body of water, particularly a river)
Don’t confuse with: sedition (incitement to rebellion)
⧠ stoic (adj)
enduring hardship without complaint : William remained stoic throughout the funeral.
Form: stoicism = the belief that emotions are the enemy of reason Synonyms: dispassionate, forbearing, phlegmatic, stolid, impassive
Don’t confuse stoicism with solecism (an error in grammar or usage, particularly a tactless one) or solipsism (the belief that
nothing exists except for oneself)
Mnemonic: Stoicism was a Hellenic school of philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium (and which met at the “painted porch”—
Stoa Poikile—from which the school got its name) who taught that emotions were incompatible with reasoning and so cultivated a systematic detachment.
⧠ succinct (adj) cingere to cinch, as with a belt
expressed clearly and concisely : The documentary was prefaced with a succinct description of the 15-year study it chronicled.
Form: succinctness = the quality of being brief and to the point
Root family: [cinc] cinch (to gird with a belt), precinct (an administrative district)
Mnemonic: The connection between succinct and precinct comes in the idea of “cinching” or “encircling” (cingere = to cinch
or encircle). When you make something more succinct, you make it “smaller and tighter” much as cinching a girdle around your
waist would make you smaller and tighter. A precinct is a well-defined (or well “encircled”) district.
⧠ temperance (n) temperare to restrain
self-control with regard to consumption : After years of gluttonous behavior, he has learned remarkable temperance.
Forms: temper = to moderate or act as a moderating force, temperate = showing moderation, intemperate = lacking
self-control
Root family: [temper] temperature (degree of heat), temperament (disposition or degree of personal restraint)
Don’t confuse the tempe- words that derive from temperare (to restrain) with the tempo- words that derive from tempus (time),
like extemporaneous, temporize (to delay making a decision), and contemporary ((adj) modern; (n) one who lives during the
same time period as another).
Mnemonic: The Temperance Movement in the 19th century was designed to curb excessive consumption of alcohol and
ultimately led to the Prohibition Era.
To avoid confusing the cognate words temperance, temperament, and temperature, notice how they are all related to the root
word temperare (to restrain): temperance is essentially one’s “ability to restrain oneself”; temperament refers to much the
same thing but has been generalized to encompass emotional dispositions in general; temperature was originally a synonym
of temperament but lent its sense of “degree of emotional heat” to the scientific term for “degree of physical heat.”
⧠ vigilant (adj) vigil awake
watchful for danger or difficulties : We must remain vigilant against tyranny.
Form: vigilance = watchfulness Synonyms: circumspect, wary, leery
Root family: [vigil] vigilante (one who takes the law into his or her own hands); vigil (a prayerful period in the night) Forms: dispute = a heated argument, disputant = a person involved in a heated argument, disputation = the art of debate Root family: [dis-] disconcerting (unsettling), disdain (feeling that something is unworthy), discredit (harm the reputation of
something or someone), diffident (lacking in self-confidence)
Root family: [put] compute (to calculate), reputation (social standing), impute (to attribute)
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systematic government
Root family: [arch] monarchy (government ruled by a king or queen), autarchy (government ruled by an individual with
absolute power), matriarchy (social order in which the female line of descent is predominant), hierarchy (a ranked system of
organization)
Don’t confuse anarchic (lacking government) with archaic (old and outdated)
Usage: Don’t use anarchy to mean chaos unless it refers to chaos that results directly from a rejection of authority.
⧠ capricious (adj)
prone to unpredictable behavior : Her decisions seemed more capricious than reasoned.
Forms: capriciousness = unpredictability of mood or behavior, caprice = a sudden and unaccountable change of behavior Synonyms: fickle, volatile, whimsical, arbitrary
Don’t confuse with: capris (close-fitting calf-length pants), capiche ((from Italian capisci) slang for “do you understand?”)
⧠ emancipate (v)
to free from bondage : The prisoners of war were finally emancipated by the liberating army.
Form: emancipation = the act of freeing those in bondage, emancipator = one who sets prisoners free Synonyms: unfetter, liberate
Don’t confuse with: emaciate (to make abnormally thin and weak)
⧠ extemporaneous (adj) ex- out of + tempor time
improvised; performed without preparation : The senator’s extemporaneous speech was surprisingly coherent and very well received.
Form: extemporize (v) = to improvise
Root family: [tempor] temporize (to delay making a decision), contemporary ((adj) modern; (n) one who lives during the same
time period as another)
Don’t confuse with: temporize (to delay making a decision), contemporaneous (occurring or existing at the same time) Mnemonic: If you must make a speech but you are out of time (ex tempor) to plan it, you must extemporize.
⧠ extricate (v) ex- out + tricae perplexities
to free from a constraint or difficult situation : We found it difficult to extricate ourselves from our duties.
Synonyms: disentangle, extract
Root family: [tric] intricate (complex), trick
Don’t confuse with: explicate (to analyze and develop (an idea) in detail)
⧠ impetuous (adj) im- toward + petere to drive
done without careful thought or planning; spontaneous : David’s jocular and impetuous nature made him the most popular player in the locker room, but it often caused problems on the field.
Form: impetuousness = tendency to be impetuous Synonyms: whimsical, impulsive, capricious
Root family: [im-] impugn (to call into question), impetus (energizing force), impute (to attribute something to someone) Root family: [pet] impetus (driving force), perpetuate (to help continue for an extended period), petulant (childishly ill-
tempered)
Don’t confuse with: impetus (driving force), petulant (childishly ill-tempered)
⧠ mercurial (adj)
inclined to unpredictable mood swings : He was a brilliant but mercurial composer, susceptible to manic bouts of productivity and debilitating depression.
Synonyms: volatile, capricious, temperamental
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⧠ unfettered (adj) feter foot (< ped foot)
freed from harsh restraints : Shawn finally felt unfettered from her oppressive relationship.
Forms: fetter = (n) chain or manacle used to restrain a prisoner; (v) to restrain the feet with manacles, unfetter = to free from
restraint
Synonyms: liberated, uninhibited, rampant, unbridled, emancipated Mnemonic: Someone who is fettered has his feet tied up in chains.
10
The Language of change and force
⧠ catalyst (n) kata- down, fall + luein loosen
something that stimulates and expedites a process, often a chemical one : Coach Johnson’s speech was the catalyst that turned our football season around.
Form: catalyze = to cause (a process) to accelerate, catalytic = acting as or relating to a catalyst, catalysis = the acceleration
of a process via a catalyst
Root family: [cata] cataclysm (a violent natural event), catastrophe (disaster), catapult (a machine for heaving heavy objects),
cataract (a waterfall), category (a class under which many elements “fall”)
Don’t confuse with: cataclysm (a violent natural event)
Mnemonic: The word catalyst (kata- down + luein loosen) may have come from the idea of a single event, like a shifting stone,
causing snow or rocks to cascade into an avalanche.
⧠ disperse (v) dis- apart + spargere to scatter or sprinkle
to spread or scatter over a wide area : The crowd soon dispersed after it was announced that the band had left the stadium.
Form: dispersion = scattering over a wide area
Root family: [dis-] discernment (the ability to make fine distinctions), disparate (very different; variegated), discrepancy
(a lack of compatibility between facts or claims), disseminate (to cast widely), dispel (to drive away; to eliminate), diffuse
(spread over a wide area)
Root family: [spers] aspersion (a derogatory remark), interspersed (distributed at intervals) Don’t confuse with: dispense (supply, distribute, or provide), diverse (showing great variety)
⧠ ephemeral (adj)
lasting a very short time : Designers try to capture the most ephemeral trends.
Forms: ephemera (plural of ephemeron) = things that last only a short time : The trappings of fame are mere ephemera. Synonyms: fleeting, transient, evanescent
Don’t confuse with: ethereal (delicate and sublime, as an ether)
⧠ impetus (n) im- toward + petere to strive after
the force that makes something move or energizes a process : The coach’s speech provided the impetus for the team to redouble its efforts in the second half.
Root family: [im-] impugn (to call into question), impute (to attribute something to someone)
Root family: [pet] impetuous (spontaneous and without planning), perpetuate (to help continue for an extended period),
petulant (childishly ill-tempered)
Don’t confuse with: impious (not devoutly religious), impish (mischievous)
Mnemonic: Imagine an imp (a mischievous child) poking you (impaling you?) in the back and giving you the impetus to run
faster.
⧠ intermittent (adj) inter- between + mittere to send
occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous : The sound of intermittent gunfire revealed that the peace accord was a fragile one.
Forms: intermit (v) = to postpone, intermittence = the quality of being intermittent
Root family: [inter-] intervene (to come between to alter events), international (pertaining to one or more countries) Root family: [miss, mit] submissive (meekly obedient), dismiss (send away), unremitting (not letting up)
Don’t confuse with: interminable (unending)
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Mnemonic: Something that is malleable can be shaped by a mallet, like clay or a soft metal can.
⧠ ossify (adj) os bone + -ify to make
to turn into bone; to become stagnant or rigid : Julia could feel her creative impulses ossify as she became inured to the bureaucratic regulations of her job.
Synonym: stagnate
Don’t confuse with: oscillate (swing back and forth)
Mnemonic: The Latin os, meaning “bone,” can be found in a few medical terms you might be familiar with, like osteoarthritis
(degeneration of the bone that causes pain in joints) or osteoporosis (the gradual weakening of the bones from loss of tissue due
to hormonal changes). Therefore, to ossify is to “make into bone.”
⧠ precipitous (adj) praecipitare to throw headlong [1] dangerously high or steep : It was a precipitous drop to the lake.
[2] (of a decline) sudden and dramatic : The merger led to a precipitous decline in the company’s stock value.
[3] (also precipitate [pre sip eh TET]) hasty : The announcement of the layoffs, unfortunately, was precipitous (or precipitate).
Form: precipice = steep rock face or cliff
Don’t confuse with: precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, or hail)
Mnemonic: The nouns precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, or hail), precipice (high cliff), and precipitousness (hastiness) all derive
from the Latin praecipitare, (to throw headlong), from prae- (before) + caput (head). Notice how they all pertain to the action of
“throwing down” in different ways.
Usage: See usage note at expedite in section 14.
⧠ synthesis (n) syn- together + tithenai to place
the act of combining elements into a whole, as ideas into a system, or simpler elements into a compound : The concert was a synthesis of modern dance, jazz, and slam poetry
Forms: synthesize = to create something by combining elements, synthetic = formed by human agency via assembling chemical
components
Root family: [thes, thet, them] thesis (a theory proposed as a premise), antithesis (a theory presented to oppose a given thesis),
prosthesis (an artificial body part), epithet (an adjective or descriptive phrase referring to a defining quality of a person or thing,
such as lionhearted in Richard the Lionhearted), anathema (something that is vehemently disliked)
⧠ transient (adj) trans to a different place + ire to go lasting a short period of time : Selena’s sense of satisfaction was transient.
Forms: transience = impermanence, transitory = transient, transient (n) = a homeless person Synonyms: fleeting, ephemeral, evanescent
Root family: [trans-] transcend (to rise above), transportation (means of carrying from place to place), translation (the act or
result of expressing something in a different language)
Don’t confuse with: intransigent (stubbornly unwilling to change one’s views)
⧠ volatile (adj) volare to fly
prone to unpredictable, rapid, and undesirable changes or displays of emotion; explosive : The convergence of the opposing protest marches created a volatile and dangerous situation.
Synonyms: incendiary, inflammatory
Root family: [vol] volley (an exchange of tennis shots; a series of utterances; a flurry of projectiles) Don’t confuse with: versatile
Mnemonic: In chemistry, a volatile liquid (such as gasoline) is one that evaporates very quickly and, often, one whose vapors
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11
The Language of duLLness and sTasIs
⧠ banal (adj)
lacking in originality; dull and boring : Ironically, even the most exciting car chases have become banal cinematic devices.
Form: banality = an overused saying or device Synonyms: trite, hackneyed, vapid, platitudinous
Mnemonic: Today’s romantic comedies are so banal that we should ban all of them.
⧠ conventional (adj) con- together + venire to come according to common practice : It’s not a conventional love story.
Forms: convene = come together in a group; convention = standard way of doing something; unconventional = demonstrating
original thinking
Root family: [con-, co-, com-, col-] conformist (one who conscientiously complies with the standards of a group, conjecture
(guess), convoluted (complicated), consensus (general agreement), conspire (to plot together), coalesce (to come together), coherent (forming a united whole), compliant (willing to obey), confluence (a place at which two things merge)
Root family: [ven, vene, vent] intervene (to come between to alter events), venture (daring undertaking), revenue (income),
circumvent (to avoid by finding a way around)
⧠ homogeneous (adj) homo same + gen kind
consisting of parts or members all of the same kind : The club was a homogeneous band of like-minded thinkers.
Root family: [gen] indigenous (native), progenitor (the first in a family tree), heterogeneous (diverse in character or content),
disingenuous (not sincere or candid)
Don’t confuse with: homogenous (having a common biological lineage or structure)
⧠ indigenous (adj) indi- into + gignere to be born
native; occurring naturally in a particular place : There are over twenty different tribes indigenous to this river valley.
Synonyms: native, aboriginal
Root family: [gen] progeny (offspring), disingenuous (not candid or sincere), progenitor (the first in a family tree), heterogeneous
(diverse in character or content), homogeneous (consisting of parts or members all of the same kind)
Don’t confuse with: ingenious (brilliant), indignant (showing anger at unfair treatment)
Mnemonic: The phrase indigenous people refers to a tribe born into (indi- into + gignere to be born) a particular area.
⧠ insipid (adj) in- not + sapere to taste
lacking vigor or interest, flavorless : His latest album drones with insipid songs.
Root family: [in-, im-] insuperable (impossible to overcome), inert (lacking vigor), interminable (unending), innocuous
(harmless), indefatigable (untiring), ineffable (inexpressible in words), inscrutable (beyond understanding), impassive
(unemotional), incongruous (not consistent with expectations)
Root family: [sap, sav] sapid (flavorful), savor (taste and enjoy thoroughly), savory (having a flavorful spiciness or saltiness) Mnemonic: It would be insane to sip such an insipid soup.
Don’t confuse with: insidious (subtly harmful or dangerous)
⧠ languish (v)
to lack energy; to grow weak : My favorite baseball team has been languishing in last place for two weeks now.
Forms: languor = a state of weakness or stillness, languid = lacking in energy; weak Synonyms: atrophy, wither
Don’t confuse with: language (a symbolic means of communication), anguish (great distress) Mnemonic: When your favorite team is languishing, it can cause you long anguish.
⧠ prosaic (adj) prosa straightforward discourse
[1] commonplace : The envoy’s duties in Paris were less romantic and more prosaic than she had hoped. [2] lacking poetic beauty : The band’s arrangements are powerful, but their lyrics are prosaic.
Synonyms: workaday, tedious, pedestrian, mundane
Mnemonic: Your writing might become prosaic and less creative if you take too much Prozac (the antidepressant drug). Don’t confuse with: mosaic (a picture produced by arranging colorful tiles or pieces of glass).
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⧠ stagnant (adj) stare to stand
[1] (of a pool of water or the air in a confined space) unmoving and hence having an unpleasant smell : The stagnant air of the gym made us feel sick.
[2] sluggish : The economy has been stagnant for years.
Forms: stagnate = to become stagnant, stagnation = the state of being or becoming stagnant