Running
Running adjective - (of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream.
Usage example: as mountain stream with freely running water
Stagnant
Stagnant adjective - Not growing or changing; without force or vitality.
Both words in one sentence
- One Swamp Thing storyline features a group of vampires that have adapted to living underwater in a stagnant lake; Swamp Thing destroys them by agitating the lake and turning it into running water.
Source: Cannot Cross Running Water - It's probably based on the ancients noticing that drinking from stagnant water, which was often loaded with dangerous microbes, caused illness, while running water was considered safe for drinking.
Source: Revive Kills Zombie - John Constantine explains that the vampire virus is anaerobic; running water is aerated and damages vampires, but they can tolerate stagnant water — and being underwater shields them from direct sunlight.
Cite this Source
Stagnant and Running. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/running/stagnant
Running & Stagnant. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/running/stagnant>.
Stagnant or Running. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/running/stagnant.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "running" and "stagnant" have occurred on timeline