stagger

American  

[stag-er] / ˈstæg ər /

verb (used without object)

1. to walk, move, or stand unsteadily.

2. to falter or begin to give way, as in an argument or fight.

3. to waver or begin to doubt, as in purpose or opinion; hesitate.

   After staggering momentarily, he recognized that he had to make a decision.

   Synonyms:

   vacillate

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause to reel, totter, or become unsteady.

   This load would stagger an elephant.

2. to shock; render helpless with amazement or the like; astonish.

   The vastness of outer space staggers the mind.

   Synonyms:

   dumbfound, confound, astound

3. to cause to waver or falter.

   The news staggered her belief in the triumph of justice.

4. to arrange in a zigzag order or manner on either side of a center.

   The captain staggered the troops along the road.

   Synonyms:

   alternate, step

5. 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.

6. 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

1. the act of staggering; a reeling or tottering movement or motion.

2. a staggered order or arrangement.

3. Aeronautics.

   1. a staggered arrangement of wings.

   2. the amount of staggering.

4. (used with a singular verb) staggers.

   1. Also called blind staggers.  acute selenium poisoning of livestock characterized by a staggering gait usually followed by respiratory failure and death.

   2. 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.

stagger British  

/ ˈstæɡə /

verb

1. (usually intr) to walk or cause to walk unsteadily as if about to fall

2. (tr) to astound or overwhelm, as with shock

   I am staggered by his ruthlessness

3. (tr) to place or arrange in alternating or overlapping positions or time periods to prevent confusion or congestion

   a staggered junction

   to stagger holidays

4. (intr) to falter or hesitate

   his courage staggered in the face of the battle

5. (tr) to set (the wings of a biplane) so that the leading edge of one extends beyond that of the other

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noun

1. the act or an instance of staggering

2. a staggered arrangement on a biplane, etc

Related Words

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

• outstagger verb (used with object)
• staggerer noun

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

Example Sentences

An Onset representative said the fraud committed by Patrick James “is simply staggering” and his “effort to recast himself as a victim and shift blame to Onset is nothing more than factually unsupported posturing.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Growth in the sector is already staggering, with solar manufacturing capacity expected to soon exceed 125 GW, according to consultancy Wood Mackenzie said.

From Barron's

‘Wicked: For Good’ was shut out of the 2026 Oscar race after its predecessor collected a staggering 10 nominations last year, including best picture.

From Los Angeles Times

She also accused the tabloid of "stealing my medical information when I was pregnant" with her son Damian and "other monstrous, staggering things".

From Barron's

But wait—he was staggering away from Owen and Momma Bear as quickly as he could.

From Literature

Related Words

• amaze
• astonish
• devastate
• dumbfound
• overwhelm
• paralyze
• puzzle
• shake
• shatter
• startle
• stun