Synonyms

staggered

American

[stag-erd] / ˈstæg ərd /

adjective

arranged in a series of alternating or continually overlapping intervals of time.

Board members serve staggered four-year terms, with new directors replacing outgoing ones each year.
arranged so as to alternate on either side of a center.

A circular base approximately 2 meters in diameter is placed atop a couple of staggered layers of brick to allow for aeration from below.
scheduled or ordered in gradual stages; phased.

Microsoft has confirmed that the new update will be a staggered release.
rendered helpless with astonishment; shocked.

Shakespeare’s King Lear questions everything we know, posing to our staggered imaginations the possibility that the cosmos is immoral, even malevolent.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of stagger.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

unstaggered

adjective

Etymology

Origin of staggered

stagger ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

Humphrys told The Times he "staggered" back to the office after a "lavish" lunch in August 1974 - and then told to break the news that US president Richard Nixon was resigning.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

And before that, Sinner had been forced to retire in China as he staggered through crushing humidity.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

It’s why Carson Zone is at the gym every Monday and Friday, grunting into weighted hip thrusts and pushing through heavy staggered lunges.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

They use shaded rest breaks, cloth-cooled water bottles and staggered hours to survive.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

As he spoke, a cluster of people staggered out of the building.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023