stagger
gb/stˈæɡɚ/ us/stˈæɡɚ/
B2
Inglés
tántorog, elképeszt, megdöbbent, lépcsőzetesen ütemez, eltolva oszt be, megtántorít, tántorodás
VERBO
B2
1
tántorog
B2
Patrón de uso:
[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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
I was so tired that I staggered to my bed.
Annyira fáradt voltam, hogy az ágyamig tántorogtam.
Error frecuente:
Don’t confuse with "stagger" meaning "schedule at different times" (e.g., stagger shifts).
Significado
walk or move unsteadily
Colocaciones
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
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
stride (Walk confidently with long, steady steps.)
|
walk steadily (Move without losing balance.)
Temas
daily_life
|health
|movement
Definición
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.
VERBO
C1
2
elképeszt
B2
megdöbbent
B2
Patrón de uso:
[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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
The price staggered me.
Az ár teljesen elképesztett.
Error frecuente:
This meaning is usually about feelings or reactions, not physical movement.
Significado
shock or astonish greatly
Colocaciones
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
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
reassure (Makes someone feel less worried or surprised.)
|
expect (Removes the sense of surprise.)
Temas
emotions
|news
|opinions
Definición
To surprise or shock someone a lot.
To shock or astonish someone very much, often because something seems extreme, surprising, or hard to believe.
VERBO
B2
3
Patrón de uso:
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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
They staggered the meeting times.
Lépcsőzetesen ütemezték a megbeszélések időpontjait.
Error frecuente:
Not the same as "scatter" (throw in many directions); "stagger" is controlled spacing or timing.
Significado
schedule at different times
Colocaciones
stagger the start times
|stagger shifts
|stagger working hours
|stagger payments
|stagger appointments
|stagger meetings
|stagger deadlines
|stagger arrivals
|stagger departures
|stagger a rollout
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
synchronize (Make things happen at the same time.)
|
align (Put in the same line or position.)
Temas
work
|business
|planning
Definición
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.
VERBO
C1
4
megtántorít
B2
Patrón de uso:
[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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
The ball hit his head and staggered him.
A labda fejbe találta, és megtántorította.
Error frecuente:
In this physical meaning, "stagger" is usually transitive: something staggers someone.
Significado
make someone lose balance
Colocaciones
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
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
steady (Help someone regain balance or stability.)
|
stabilize (Make something firm or less likely to fall.)
Temas
sports
|violence
|movement
Definición
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.
SUSTANTIVO
C1
5
tántorodás
C1
Patrón de uso:
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.
Error frecuente:
This noun use is much less common than the verb.
Significado
an unsteady step or lurch
Colocaciones
take a stagger
|a drunken stagger
|a sudden stagger
|a stagger to the side
|a stagger backward
Sinónimos
lurch (Often stronger and more sudden than a stagger.)
|
stumble (Often implies tripping or catching your foot.)
Antónimos
steady step (A balanced, controlled step.)
Temas
movement
Definición
An unsteady step or movement.
An unsteady movement or step, as if from losing balance.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
stagger
AFI
GB/stˈæɡɚ/
US/stˈæɡɚ/
Sílabas y acento
stag - ger (2 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (stag)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: stagger
- Plural: staggers
Verb
- Base: stagger
- 3rd Person Singular: staggers
- Present Participle: staggering
- Past: staggered
Expresiones
it staggers belief
1/ˈɪt stˈæɡɚz bɪlˈif/
idiom
hard to believe
Used to say something is almost impossible to believe.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She works staggered hours.
staggered start
1/stˈæɡɚd stˈɑɹt/
fixed phrase
starts at different times
A start where people begin at different times.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The race had a staggered start.