/ ˈstægə(r); NAmE / verb
1.
to walk with weak unsteady steps, as if you are about to fall
SYN totter :
[ v , usually + adv. / prep. ]
The injured woman staggered to her feet.
He staggered home, drunk.
We seem to stagger from one crisis to the next.
( figurative )
The company is staggering under the weight of a £10m debt.
[ vn ]
I managed to stagger the last few steps.
2.
to shock or surprise sb very much
SYN amaze :
[ vn ]
Her remarks staggered me.
[ v that ]
It staggers me that the government is doing nothing about it.
3.
[ vn ] to arrange for events that would normally happen at the same time to start or happen at different times :
There were so many runners that they had to stagger the start.
► stag·ger noun :
to walk with a stagger
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (as a verb): alteration of dialect stacker , from Old Norse stakra , frequentative of staka push, stagger.