Definition of stagger Stagger

/stæˈgɚ/ - [statger] - stag•ger

We found 36 definitions of stagger from 5 different sources.

What does stagger mean?

WordNet

Verb staggers, staggering, staggered
stagger - walk as if unable to control one's movements; "The drunken man staggered into the room"
		reel, keel, lurch, swag, careen
		walk obtain a base on balls
stagger - walk with great difficulty; "He staggered along in the heavy snow"
		flounder
		walk obtain a base on balls
stagger - to arrange in a systematic order; "stagger the chairs in the lecture hall"
		distribute
		arrange, set up arrange thoughts, ideas, temporal events; "arrange my schedule"; "set up one's life"; "I put these memories with those of bygone times"
stagger - astound or overwhelm, as with shock; "She was staggered with bills after she tried to rebuild her house following the earthquake"
		sweep over, whelm, overpower, overtake, overcome, overwhelm overcome by superior force

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Wiktionary

stagger (Noun)
An unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing, as if one were about to fall; a reeling motion; vertigo; -- often in the plural; as, the stagger of a drunken man.
stagger (Noun)
A disease of horses and other animals, attended by reeling, unsteady gait or sudden falling; as, parasitic staggers; apoplectic or sleepy staggers.
stagger (Noun)
bewilderment; perplexity.
stagger (Verb)
Sway unsteadily, reel, or totter.
stagger (Verb)
In standing or walking, to sway from one side to the other as if about to fall; to stand or walk unsteadily; to reel or totter.
stagger (Verb)
She began to stagger across the room.
stagger (Verb)
To cause to reel or totter.
stagger (Verb)
The powerful blow of his opponent's fist staggered the boxer.
stagger (Verb)
To cease to stand firm ; to begin to give way; to fail.
stagger (Verb)
After the second earthquake, the clock tower began to stagger.
stagger (Verb)
Doubt, waver, be shocked.
stagger (Verb)
To begin to doubt and waver in purposes; to become less confidentor determined; to hesitate.
stagger (Verb)
Under severe criticism, the leader began to stagger.
stagger (Verb)
To cause to doubt and waver; to make to hesitate; to make less steady or confident; to shock.
stagger (Verb)
He will stagger the committee when he presents his report.
stagger (Verb)
Multiple groups doing the same thing in a uniform fashion, but starting at different, evenly-spaced, times or places attested from 1856 Etymology in :w:Online Etymology Online Etymology Dictionary .
stagger (Verb)
To arrange a series of parts on each side of a median line alternately, as the spokes of a wheel or the rivets of a boiler seam this involves only two groups.
stagger (Verb)
To arrange similar objects such that each is ahead or above and to one side of the next.
stagger (Verb)
We will stagger the starting positions for the race on the oval track.
stagger (Verb)
To schedule in intervals.
stagger (Verb)
We will stagger the run so the faster runners can go first, then the joggers.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

stagger (n.)
To move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking; not to stand or walk with steadiness; to sway; to reel or totter.
stagger (n.)
To cease to stand firm; to begin to give way; to fail.
stagger (n.)
To begin to doubt and waver in purposes; to become less confident or determined; to hesitate.
stagger (v. t.)
To cause to reel or totter.
stagger (v. t.)
To cause to doubt and waver; to make to hesitate; to make less steady or confident; to shock.
stagger (v. t.)
To arrange (a series of parts) on each side of a median line alternately, as the spokes of a wheel or the rivets of a boiler seam.
stagger (n.)
An unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing, as if one were about to fall; a reeling motion; vertigo; -- often in the plural; as, the stagger of a drunken man.
stagger (n.)
A disease of horses and other animals, attended by reeling, unsteady gait or sudden falling; as, parasitic staggers; appopletic or sleepy staggers.
stagger (n.)
Bewilderment; perplexity.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

stagger
stag′ėr, v.i. to reel from side to side: to begin to give way: to begin to doubt: to hesitate.—v.t. to cause to reel: to cause to doubt or hesitate: to shock.—adv. Stagg′eringly.—n. Stagg′ers, a popular term applied to several diseases of horses.—Grass, or Stomach, staggers, an acute indigestion; Mad, or Sleepy, staggers, an inflammation of the brain. [Ice. stakra, to push, freq. of staka, to push.]