Forget about escape velocity. The U.S. economy in 2014 is likely to record another disappointing year of growth, according to the latest Wall Street Journal survey of economists.

The main culprit cited by the 48 surveyed economists—not all of whom answered every question—is the absence of a big spring bounce following the winter's sharp contraction.

The July consensus view calls for inflation-adjusted gross domestic product to grow just 1.6% this year, measured as the percentage change from this year's fourth quarter over the fourth quarter of 2013.

That would represent a steep drop from the 2.2% expected just a month ago, and is off more than a percentage point from the 2.7% and 2.8% estimates made in the first five months of 2014. Real GDP grew 2.6% during the four quarters of 2013.

Economists estimate the first quarter's deep contraction—2.9% at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, according to the Commerce Department—was followed by a softer-than-expected rebound.