stagger
gb/stˈæɡɚ/ us/stˈæɡɚ/
B2
English
tántorog, elképeszt, megdöbbent, lépcsőzetesen ütemez, eltolva oszt be, megtántorít, tántorodás
VERB
B2
1
tántorog
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] staggers (around/along/back) (to/into/out of) [place]
He staggered out of the bar and grabbed the railing.
Kitántorgott a bárból, és megragadta a korlátot.
After the long hike, she staggered toward the car, exhausted.
A hosszú túra után kimerülten a kocsi felé tántorgott.
The child staggered on the ice but managed not to fall.
Learner examples
I was so tired that I staggered to my bed.
Annyira fáradt voltam, hogy az ágyamig tántorogtam.
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse with "stagger" meaning "schedule at different times" (e.g., stagger shifts).
Meaning
walk or move unsteadily
Collocations
stagger home
|stagger back
|stagger down the street
|stagger to the door
|stagger into the room
|stagger out of the building
|stagger forward
|stagger away
|stagger to safety
|stagger to bed
Synonyms
totter (Suggests weak, shaky steps, often from age or instability.)
|
stumble (Often refers to tripping or making a misstep.)
|
lurch (Emphasizes a sudden, uneven movement.)
Antonyms
stride (Walk confidently with long, steady steps.)
|
walk steadily (Move without losing balance.)
Themes
daily_life
|health
|movement
Definition
To walk in an unsteady way, like you might fall.
To walk or move with unsteady steps, as if you might fall, especially because of injury, tiredness, or alcohol.
VERB
C1
2
elképeszt
B2
megdöbbent
B2
Usage pattern:
[something] staggers [someone] | [someone] is staggered (by/at) [something]
The final bill staggered us.
A végszámla teljesen elképesztett minket.
It staggers me that he can lie so easily.
Elképeszt, hogy ilyen könnyen tud hazudni.
She was staggered by how quickly the situation changed.
Learner examples
The price staggered me.
Az ár teljesen elképesztett.
Common mistake:
This meaning is usually about feelings or reactions, not physical movement.
Meaning
shock or astonish greatly
Collocations
be staggered by the news
|be staggered at the cost
|staggered by the scale
|staggered to learn
|stagger the imagination
|staggered by the cruelty
|staggering figure
|staggered by the number
Synonyms
astound (Neutral-to-formal word for very strong surprise.)
|
shock (Emphasizes something upsetting or disturbing.)
|
stun (Suggests leaving someone unable to react for a moment.)
Antonyms
reassure (Makes someone feel less worried or surprised.)
|
expect (Removes the sense of surprise.)
Themes
emotions
|news
|opinions
Definition
To surprise or shock someone a lot.
To shock or astonish someone very much, often because something seems extreme, surprising, or hard to believe.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
stagger [events/times/payments/shifts]
The company staggered lunch breaks to avoid crowded cafeterias.
A vállalat lépcsőzetesen ütemezte az ebédszüneteket, hogy ne legyen zsúfolt a menza.
They staggered the departures so traffic wouldn’t build up at the exit.
Lépcsőzetesen ütemezték az indulásokat, hogy ne torlódjon fel a forgalom a kijáratnál.
We staggered the payments over six months.
Learner examples
They staggered the meeting times.
Lépcsőzetesen ütemezték a megbeszélések időpontjait.
Common mistake:
Not the same as "scatter" (throw in many directions); "stagger" is controlled spacing or timing.
Meaning
schedule at different times
Collocations
stagger the start times
|stagger shifts
|stagger working hours
|stagger payments
|stagger appointments
|stagger meetings
|stagger deadlines
|stagger arrivals
|stagger departures
|stagger a rollout
Synonyms
spread out (More general; less tied to scheduling.)
|
space out (Informal; emphasizes leaving gaps between items.)
|
offset (Emphasizes being out of line or out of sync.)
Antonyms
synchronize (Make things happen at the same time.)
|
align (Put in the same line or position.)
Themes
work
|business
|planning
Definition
To plan things so they happen at different times, not all at once.
To arrange for people or events to happen at different times (or in different positions) so they do not all happen together or line up.
VERB
C1
4
megtántorít
B2
Usage pattern:
[something] staggers [someone/something]
The punch staggered him, but he stayed on his feet.
Az ütés megtántorította, de talpon maradt.
A sudden gust staggered the cyclist.
Egy hirtelen széllökés megtántorította a kerékpárost.
The blast staggered the crowd and sent people stumbling backward.
Learner examples
The ball hit his head and staggered him.
A labda fejbe találta, és megtántorította.
Common mistake:
In this physical meaning, "stagger" is usually transitive: something staggers someone.
Meaning
make someone lose balance
Collocations
a blow staggered him
|stagger an opponent
|staggered by the impact
|staggered by the blast
|staggered by the shove
|staggered by the hit
|stagger a boxer
|staggered by the collision
Synonyms
unbalance (Focuses on losing balance rather than the manner of movement.)
|
rock (Often used for a strong hit that makes someone sway.)
|
knock (Common in sports; suggests a forceful impact.)
Antonyms
steady (Help someone regain balance or stability.)
|
stabilize (Make something firm or less likely to fall.)
Themes
sports
|violence
|movement
Definition
To make someone almost fall or lose balance.
To cause someone or something to move unsteadily or almost fall, especially by hitting, pushing, or shaking it.
NOUN
C1
5
tántorodás
C1
Usage pattern:
take a stagger
He took a stagger to the side and grabbed the wall.
Oldalra tántorodott egyet, és megkapaszkodott a falban.
With one last stagger, she reached the chair and sat down.
Még egy utolsót tántorodott, elérte a széket, és leült.
Common mistake:
This noun use is much less common than the verb.
Meaning
an unsteady step or lurch
Collocations
take a stagger
|a drunken stagger
|a sudden stagger
|a stagger to the side
|a stagger backward
Synonyms
lurch (Often stronger and more sudden than a stagger.)
|
stumble (Often implies tripping or catching your foot.)
Antonyms
steady step (A balanced, controlled step.)
Themes
movement
Definition
An unsteady step or movement.
An unsteady movement or step, as if from losing balance.
Grammar
Dictionary form
stagger
IPA
GB/stˈæɡɚ/
US/stˈæɡɚ/
Syllables & stress
stag - ger (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (stag)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: stagger
- Plural: staggers
Verb
- Base: stagger
- 3rd Person Singular: staggers
- Present Participle: staggering
- Past: staggered
Expressions
it staggers belief
1/ˈɪt stˈæɡɚz bɪlˈif/
idiom
hard to believe
Used to say something is almost impossible to believe.
Examples
- It staggers belief that the same mistakes keep happening.
- It staggers belief how quickly the rumour spread.
- It staggers belief that he was never questioned.
stagger on
1/stˈæɡɚ ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
continue with difficulty
To continue, but in a weak or difficult way.
Examples
- The negotiations staggered on for months without a clear result.
- Despite the pain, he staggered on toward the exit.
- The company staggered on until a buyer finally stepped in.
Learner examples
- The project staggered on.
staggered hours
1/stˈæɡɚd ˈaʊɚz/
fixed phrase
business
different start and finish times
Working with different start times for different people.
Examples
- To reduce crowding, staff worked staggered hours.
- Parents often prefer staggered hours so they can do school drop-offs.
- The policy introduced staggered hours across the whole office.
Learner examples
- She works staggered hours.
staggered start
1/stˈæɡɚd stˈɑɹt/
fixed phrase
starts at different times
A start where people begin at different times.
Examples
- The race used a staggered start to avoid bottlenecks on the trail.
- Schools introduced a staggered start to reduce traffic at the gates.
- We’ll have a staggered start for the workshop sessions.
Learner examples
- The race had a staggered start.