- present participle of stagger.
staggering
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of staggering
Explanation
A staggering amount is an astonishing, astounding, stupefying amount. Anything staggering blows your mind. If you know that stagger means to stumble around uncertainly, then you're close to the meaning of staggering: this is a word for things that are so hard to believe you might fall down when you hear them. If the President gets shot, that's staggering news. If there's a major earthquake, that's staggering. Alien life contacting the Earth would be extremely staggering. Anything that knocks your socks off or makes your mind reel is staggering.
Vocabulary lists containing staggering
Tuck Everlasting
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Hatchet
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Paper documents accumulate at a staggering scale," says one employee at a Japanese hospital, who asked not to be named.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
In a staggering solo performance, the Polish rider pulled away from Vollering and then-race leader Marlen Reusser, grabbing enough time to seize yellow and the Tour’s overall lead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
A search for one man’s remains underscores the staggering humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where thousands of bodies are trapped beneath millions of tons of rubble.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
That puts its worldwide total at a staggering $928 million.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
“Run!” the boy cried, staggering back from Gingersnipes.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
