# staggered

/ˈstæɡɝd/ (US) · /stˈæɡəd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/staggered
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. very shocked

adjective · CEFR B2

very shocked or surprised by something, usually because it is so big or unexpected.

For teachers: deeply astonished or taken aback by information or an event.

- I was staggered by the high price of the hotel room.
- The board members were staggered by the scale of the financial deficit revealed during the emergency audit.

### 2. arranged at different times

adjective · CEFR B2

happening at different times rather than all at once.

For teachers: arranged in a series of intervals or stages to prevent overcrowding or to manage resources.

- The school has staggered start times so the hallways don't get too crowded.
- The government implemented a staggered release of the new regulations to allow businesses sufficient time to adapt to each phase.

### 3. physically offset

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

arranged in a way where things are not directly opposite each other or not in a straight line.

For teachers: positioned in an offset or zigzag pattern rather than in direct alignment.

- The bricks were laid in a staggered pattern to make the wall stronger.
- The seating in the theatre was staggered to ensure that every guest had an unobstructed view of the stage.

## Examples

- I was staggered by the high price of the meal.
- The company introduced staggered shifts to ensure that fewer employees were in the office at the same time.
- The researchers were staggered by the sheer volume of data collected during the initial phase, which far exceeded their most optimistic projections for the entire year.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.