Select the most appropriate synonym of the word 'stagnant' from the following sentence,

Reeta was motionless after knowing that her brother had become mentally unstable after seeing the fatal accident on Tuesday night.

Motionless

The most appropriate synonym of the word stagnant from the following sentence is motionless.

• Stagnant means not active or brisk.
• Motionless means not moving or moving very little.

The two words are similar in that they both suggest the idea of being inactive or still. However, the word stagnant has a more general meaning, as it can refer to any kind of inactivity or stillness, regardless of whether it is caused by a physical or emotional state or not. The word motionless has a more specific meaning, as it specifically refers to stillness that is caused by a physical state.

In the sentence "Reeta was motionless after knowing that her brother had become mentally unstable after seeing the fatal accident on Tuesday night," the speaker is not just saying that Reeta was not moving, but that she was also in a state of shock or disbelief. Therefore, the word "motionless" is the most appropriate synonym for the word "stagnant" in this context.

The other words on the list are not as appropriate synonyms for stagnant. The word fatal means causing death. The word unstable means not stable or not firm. The word accident means an unexpected and unplanned event that causes damage or injury. These words do not convey the same sense of being inactive or still as the word motionless.