Library / English Dictionary

STAGGER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

An unsteady uneven gait

Synonyms:

lurch; stagger; stumble

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("stagger" is a kind of...):

gait (a person's manner of walking)

Derivation:

stagger (walk as if unable to control one's movements)

stagger (walk with great difficulty)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

To arrange in a systematic order

Example:

stagger the chairs in the lecture hall

Synonyms:

distribute; stagger

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "stagger" is one way to...):

arrange; set up (put into a proper or systematic order)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 2

Meaning:

Astound or overwhelm, as with shock

Example:

She was staggered with bills after she tried to rebuild her house following the earthquake

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "stagger" is one way to...):

overcome; overpower; overtake; overwhelm; sweep over; whelm (overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Walk as if unable to control one's movements

Example:

The drunken man staggered into the room

Synonyms:

careen; keel; lurch; reel; stagger; swag

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "stagger" is one way to...):

walk (use one's feet to advance; advance by steps)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

stagger (an unsteady uneven gait)

staggerer (someone who walks unsteadily as if about to fall)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Walk with great difficulty

Example:

He staggered along in the heavy snow

Synonyms:

flounder; stagger

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "stagger" is one way to...):

walk (use one's feet to advance; advance by steps)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

The children stagger to the playground

Derivation:

stagger (an unsteady uneven gait)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Our visitor staggered to his feet and clutched the mantelpiece with his right hand.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Twice Sir Nigel had been overborne, and twice Alleyne had fought over him until he had staggered to his feet once more.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The man glared round him, staggered, and fell senseless upon the floor.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Despite the staggering distances to other planetary systems, in recent years researchers have begun to develop techniques for collecting spectra of exoplanets.

(Sunsets on Titan reveal the complexity of hazy exoplanets, NASA)

Blindfolding them made walking extremely difficult, causing them to stagger and stumble from side to side while assistants prevented them from falling.

(“Sixth sense” may be more than just a feeling, NIH)

A new paper reports a staggering degree of biological diversity that defies contemporary definitions of microbial species and illuminates reasons behind challenges in metagenomic studies.

(Study analyzing cells' blueprints reveals new patterns in the global distribution and diversity of ocean microbes, National Science Foundation)

"Sub-Antarctic mode water exerts a staggering level of control on much of the global ocean," Balch said.

(Study reveals changing patterns in globally important algae, National Science Foundation)

Several strange facts combined against her, which might have staggered anyone who had not such proof of her innocence as I had.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Martin turned as he staggered, and saw the fist coming at him in a wild swing.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I was a bit staggered at this, for I had imagined it was simply a new dress or something of the kind that she was after.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)