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)
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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:
He would stagger payments, making headway on one card by paying just over the minimum one month, then doing the same on a different card the next.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 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
One way to mitigate this would be for different regions to stagger their school summer holidays, suggests Which?
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2025
Every rib showed up under the wet coat, and when the dog shook himself Mackenzie saw him stagger.
From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford
With black smoke belching high into the sky, Lobga staggers some 90 seconds before collapsing in flames and a U.N. security guard rushes over blasting an extinguisher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Now such a line could draw attention, so the Alliance staggers appointments, according to Jose Sandoval, executive director of the Panorama City-based organization that provides education and services to Latino families.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 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
The band staggers through a song and the cheerleaders bounce.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
The staggered statements within “Trio Piece” advance with oddly pleasing grace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Thursday’s share unlocking marks the second of several such instances that are part of SpaceX’s staggered lockup schedule.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
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
"What the—?" Pong struggled out from under a tangle of wet limbs and staggered to his feet.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
"It's absolutely staggering that Tina was there, crying out for help and assistance, raising her complaints and not being taken seriously, not once but twice," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
It was still just the first quarter of his first college football game at USC when Luke Wafle offered a first glimpse of his staggering potential.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The amount of money being thrown around by tech oligarchs is staggering — however, it’s important to remember that this is a sign of weakness.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
The actor paid a reported $15 million for the property, which encompasses a staggering 5,400 acres and has been described as one of the world’s largest privately owned islands.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
Still, Maria’s main purpose in Surinam was recording insects, and the sheer number of them was staggering.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
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.
