stagger
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to cause to reel, totter, or become unsteady.
This load would stagger an elephant.
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to shock; render helpless with amazement or the like; astonish.
The vastness of outer space staggers the mind.
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to cause to waver or falter.
The news staggered her belief in the triumph of justice.
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to arrange in a zigzag order or manner on either side of a center.
The captain staggered the troops along the road.
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to arrange otherwise than at the same time, especially in a series of alternating or continually overlapping intervals.
They planned to stagger lunch hours so that the cafeteria would not be rushed.
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Aeronautics. to arrange (the wings of a biplane or the like) so that the entering edge of an upper wing is either in advance of or behind that of a corresponding lower wing.
noun
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the act of staggering; a reeling or tottering movement or motion.
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a staggered order or arrangement.
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Aeronautics.
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a staggered arrangement of wings.
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the amount of staggering.
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(used with a singular verb) staggers.
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Also called blind staggers. acute selenium poisoning of livestock characterized by a staggering gait usually followed by respiratory failure and death.
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a condition of unknown cause, occurring in pregnant sheep, cattle, and other animals during or just following extended transport, characterized by a staggering gait and progressive paralysis.
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verb
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(usually intr) to walk or cause to walk unsteadily as if about to fall
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(tr) to astound or overwhelm, as with shock
I am staggered by his ruthlessness
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(tr) to place or arrange in alternating or overlapping positions or time periods to prevent confusion or congestion
a staggered junction
to stagger holidays
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(intr) to falter or hesitate
his courage staggered in the face of the battle
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(tr) to set (the wings of a biplane) so that the leading edge of one extends beyond that of the other
noun
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the act or an instance of staggering
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a staggered arrangement on a biplane, etc
Synonym Usage
Stagger, reel, totter suggest an unsteady manner of walking. To stagger is successively to lose and regain one's equilibrium and the ability to maintain one's direction: to stagger with exhaustion, a heavy load, or intoxication. To reel is to sway dizzily and be in imminent danger of falling: to reel when faint with hunger. To totter is to move in a shaky, uncertain, faltering manner and suggests the immediate likelihood of falling from weakness or feebleness: An old man tottered along with a cane.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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staggersimple
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staggerssimple
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have staggeredperfect
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has staggeredperfect
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am staggeringprogressive
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are staggeringprogressive
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is staggeringprogressive
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have been staggeringperfect progressive
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has been staggeringperfect progressive
Past
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staggeredsimple
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had staggeredperfect
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was staggeringprogressive
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were staggeringprogressive
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had been staggeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of stagger
First recorded in 1520–30; earlier stacker “to reel,” Middle English stakeren, from Old Norse stakra “to reel,” equivalent to stak(a) “to stagger” + -ra frequentative suffix
Explanation
Running a marathon is an impressive feat! Even though you had to stagger — or walk unsteadily — across the finish line, you should be proud of your accomplishment. The word stagger isn't just used to describe the physical action of stumbling. When you're really shocked about a piece of news, it can stagger or shock you. When you want to spread something out overtime, like paying a large bill, you can stagger the payments over time. But, remember that if you fall behind, the debt you fall into might stagger you.
Vocabulary lists containing stagger
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Vocabulary from history writings about the Triangle Factory Fire
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An Excerpt from "The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead
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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.
See Examples For:
Governments are planning to release their reserves to the market over several months to stagger the effect, officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
They stagger their appliance use in the mornings, checking that a fan isn’t running at the same time as the coffeemaker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
Asian investors battled Wednesday to kickstart a recovery in equities following the latest stagger across world markets that has been caused by worries over an AI-fuelled bubble and uncertainty over US interest rates.
From Barron's ● Nov. 19, 2025
Nations reel and stagger on their way; they make hideous mistakes; they commit frightful wrongs; they do great and beautiful things.
From Salon ● Apr. 16, 2025
‘Those cords have cut me like wires; but my feet are getting warm again. I could stagger on now. What about you, Merry?’
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Monkey King frees six puppet horses, who rise above the stage on long poles; he staggers out of the furnace with glowing red eyes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 19, 2025
Still in her wedding dress, she staggers out to the street shrieking, “Is everybody gay???”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 3, 2023
A middle-aged man staggers into the bar and dances and sings along to a song in the Kikuyu language before slumping on one of the benches to join his friends.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2023
For the moment, the Pasohlavky project staggers on.
From New York Times ● Feb. 13, 2023
Prince Dain drops my hand, and I shove it into my pocket, the pain of which nearly staggers me.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
One source claimed that the invitees’ arrival times were staggered such that there were A, B, C, and D lists.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
Those agencies are often structured as multimember commissions with staggered, time-limited terms.
From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026
“That’s sort of a challenge in the moment. We’re trying to take steps like that staggered notice to try to mitigate that and make sure that folks are available.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
Former captain Michael Vaughan said he will be "absolutely staggered" if there is not more leadership change in English cricket after Ben Stokes' retirement.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
I staggered up to a tree and collapsed under it in the deafening silence.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
The local conditions became catastrophic and the rate of the fire's spread was staggering.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Today, it appears the singer is enjoying a much smoother ride, financially, with estimates placing her net worth at a staggering $360 million.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The sheer scope of the album is staggering.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The proposed sum is staggering to people familiar with the State Department’s allocation practices and would dwarf the organization’s budget.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
The goal of Project VOTE! was to sign up new Illinois voters at a staggering pace of ten thousand per week.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
