stagger

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈstæɡɚ/ UK /ˈstæɡə/ See IPA manual

Freq #28673

Meanings

1

verb
To walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall.

He staggered home after the long, exhausting hike.
2

verb
To shock or amaze someone greatly.

We were staggered by the size of the repair bill.
3

verb
To arrange events or activities so they happen at different times rather than all at once.

The company staggers everyone's lunch breaks.
4

noun
An unsteady, swaying movement, as if about to fall.

He crossed the room with a drunken stagger.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to walk or move unsteadily,... lurch

3 verb · to arrange events or... distribute

Word family

Forms staggeredstaggers

Derived forms bestaggerstagger-throughstaggerbushstaggererstaggeringlystaggermentstaggersstaggerweedstaggerwortstaggery

Etymology

From Middle English stakeren, from Old Norse stakra (“to push, stagger”). Cognate with dialectal Danish stagre.

stakeren Middle English stakra Old Norse

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# stagger

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈstæɡɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈstæɡə/
**Frequency rank:** 28673

## Meanings
1. To walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall.
2. To shock or amaze someone greatly.
3. To arrange events or activities so they happen at different times rather than all at once.
4. An unsteady, swaying movement, as if about to fall.

## Examples
- He staggered home after the long, exhausting hike.
- We were staggered by the size of the repair bill.
- The company staggers everyone's lunch breaks.
- He crossed the room with a drunken stagger.

## Derived Forms
- bestagger
- stagger-through
- staggerbush
- staggerer
- staggeringly
- staggerment
- staggers
- staggerweed
- staggerwort
- staggery

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: stakeren
- Root: stakra

## Etymology
From Middle English stakeren, from Old Norse stakra (“to push, stagger”). Cognate with dialectal Danish stagre.

## AI Etymology
Stagger is from Middle English stakeren, from Old Norse stakra (“to push, stagger”). Cognate with dialectal Danish stagre. In present-day use, it can mean to walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall, or to shock or amaze someone greatly. Derived formations include bestagger, stagger-through, staggerbush, staggerer, staggeringly.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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