- 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.
Over one-third of American children and a staggering 53 percent of Black children will be subjected to a child protective services investigation at some point in their childhoods.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
His greatest moment might have come during 2018's Giro d'Italia win after a comeback that included winning stage 19 by a staggering three minutes.
From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026
Servicers and the government are staggering the notices because “we’re trying to make sure that we’re not having 7-plus million people reaching out all at once,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026
In May, industrial profits jumped a staggering 21.1% year-on-year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 27, 2026
At the time, it seemed like a staggering amount of money.
From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen
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.
