停滞

• Reading: ていたい
• Romaji: teitai
• Kanji breakdown: 停 (tei) — stop, halt; 滞 (tai/todokoo) — stagnate, be delayed
• Pronunciation: /teː.ta.i/

Meaning

Stagnation; standstill; delay. A state where progress has stopped or slowed significantly.

A noun and する verb describing a state of halted or very slow progress. Used for economies, negotiations, weather fronts, traffic, and other situations that have come to a standstill. 停滞前線 (stationary weather front) is a common meteorological term using this word.

Examples

1. 景気の停滞が長く続いている。 Economic stagnation has been dragging on for a long time.
2. 工事が停滞して完成が遅れた。 Construction stalled and completion was delayed.
3. プロジェクトの停滞を打開するため新しい方法を試した。 We tried a new approach to break through the stagnation in the project.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, news, weather

Tone: negative

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 停 (stop, halt) and 滞 (stagnate, linger). Both characters convey a sense of halted movement, reinforcing the image of something stuck in place.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Professional