stagger
Americanverb (used without object)
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staggers,
present (3rd person singular)
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staggered,
past participle, past
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staggering
present participle
verb (used with object)
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staggers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
staggered,
past participle, past
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staggering
present participle
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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:
Brown managed to stagger out of Buck’s apartment to a nearby gas station, where he called 911.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026
This pair, portrayed by Nicholas Braun and Kara Young, stumble and stagger through life collecting scars like other people collect stamps or baseball cards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 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
For better and mostly for worse, she has allowed Jeffries to stagger on his own two feet.
From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2025
I stagger through the door under Mother’s scrutinizing eyes.
From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat
After pulling himself together, Berenger staggers into town to meet Jean for a morning drink before work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
As an “inflorescence” — a plant structure containing hundreds of male and female flowers at the base — the plant usually staggers its bloom to avoid self-pollination.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
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
She throws off guilt like a sweet aroma, and Mr. Hrbik staggers besotted toward his fate.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Private vehicle use is being discouraged - the government has asked offices to allow half of their employees to work from home, introduced staggered office timings for its staff and doubled parking charges.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
“I’m absolutely staggered that it was left to me, as a member of the public, to see and report this.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
I didn’t feel any affinity with the humanoid that smashed Bolt’s 100-meter record, but found the robot weightlifter that crumpled under a 15kg barbell and staggered into a table very relatable.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
Still, because the homes are staggered up a hillside, upward of 100 properties could gain a better lake view from the poisoned trees’ removal, according to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
We leaned into the wind and staggered on through the snow.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
“I Play Rocky” is an emotionally staggering new way of experiencing the “Rocky” story all over again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Perhaps the most important lesson of this week’s staggering victory is also the lesson of the days ahead.
From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2026
"The latest Adaptation Gap Report exposes a staggering shortfall. For every dollar developing countries need to adapt, they receive just 10 cents," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
But perhaps the biggest challenge is the staggering cost of building housing for homeless people in L.A..
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
She leaned in a bit to deliver her next inquiry, and I got a soft, staggering whiff of her peppermint scent.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
