Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Thesaurus

stagger

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of stagger

1 to move forward while swaying from side to side
  • I was so tired last night that I just staggered upstairs to bed without eating dinner.
Synonyms of stagger

careen, dodder, lurch, reel, teeter, totter, waddle
Words Related to stagger

rock, roll, seesaw, swag, sway, waver, weave, wobble (also wabble)

clomp, clump, flounder, lumber, lump, pound, scuffle, shamble, shuffle, stamp, stomp, stumble, tramp, tromp
2 to show uncertainty about the right course of action
  • a daunting problem that would make even the most decisive person stagger just a bit
Synonyms of stagger

balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate, scruple, shilly-shally, teeter, vacillate, waver, wobble (also wabble)
Words Related to stagger

haw, hem

dally, dawdle, delay, linger, pause, procrastinate, wait

back down, chicken (out)

consider, debate, deliberate, ponder, weigh

oscillate, sway

equivocate, hedge, pussyfoot, waffle
Near Antonyms of stagger

decide

budge, stir

advance, continue
Antonyms of stagger

dive (in), plunge (in)

Learn More about stagger

  1. See words that rhyme with stagger Dictionary: Definition of stagger Spanish Central: Translation of stagger Nglish: Translation of stagger for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of stagger for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up stagger? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

traduce

play

to lower or disgrace the reputation of

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. lowlife 'a person of low moral character'

  2. kakistocracy 'government by the worst people'

  3. slimeball 'a morally repulsive or odious person'

  4. salacious 'arousing or appealing to sexual desire'

  5. oligarch 'government in which a small group exercises control'

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

image236659401
Words from Letters in the Greek Alphabet

When English borrows from another alphabet

alt-5ada140ed3e28
'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

Why not both?

alt-5ad8fc71357ed
Words We're Watching: 'Bluebeard,' the Verb

No, it's not a coiffure trend

alt-5ad8d3361fb97
Where 'Cliff-hangers' Come From

You're on the edge of your seat

Ask the Editors

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

image1926873504
Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Test your knowledge of strange human behaviors.

Take the quiz
cats-on-impossible-timber
More Confusing Words—Quiz

How many of these commonly confused words do you know?

Take the quiz
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game