- present participle of stagger.
staggering
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of staggering
Explanation
A staggering amount is an astonishing, astounding, stupefying amount. Anything staggering blows your mind. If you know that stagger means to stumble around uncertainly, then you're close to the meaning of staggering: this is a word for things that are so hard to believe you might fall down when you hear them. If the President gets shot, that's staggering news. If there's a major earthquake, that's staggering. Alien life contacting the Earth would be extremely staggering. Anything that knocks your socks off or makes your mind reel is staggering.
Vocabulary lists containing staggering
Tuck Everlasting
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Hatchet
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After years of effort, Merck could make only a few grams at a time, at staggering cost, with no clear therapeutic opportunity to justify further investment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Just like no one at USC is batting an eye at the freshman’s staggering start, which has him leading the nation with three touchdown catches and the Big Ten with 222 receiving yards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
"There's 40 trillion reasons why I would agree with a fiscal conservative," Osborn said, referring to the staggering US national debt, which recently passed the $40 trillion mark.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
The final sale price represents a staggering $5.3 million discount from the $10.95 million Behar originally sought when she first put the historic home on the market in late 2024.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
“Oh, dear!” said Michael to himself, as he followed her, staggering under the weight of his parcels.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
