staggering

adjective

stag·​ger·​ing ˈsta-g(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce staggering (audio)
Synonyms of staggeringnext
: so great as to cause one to stagger : astonishing, overwhelming
a staggering feat
staggering medical bills
staggeringly adverb

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of staggering in a Sentence

The storm caused a staggering amount of damage. the staggering scope of the new construction on campus
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to the same survey, a staggering 77% say their roles are harder now than ever before. — Gyre Renwick, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025 The Longest Conclave Ever The Catholic Church's longest-ever papal conclave began in November 1268 and did not conclude until September 1271, a staggering 1,006 days later. — Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025 Bird, a UConn women’s basketball legend, has won a staggering five Olympic gold medals and four world championships while suiting up for Team USA. — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 7 May 2025 Though its advances on the battlefield have slowed to a crawl amid staggering casualties, Russia is still seen as having momentum in the war and would lose leverage if fighting halted for any significant period. — Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for staggering

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of staggering was in 1565

Rhymes for staggering

See All Rhymes for staggering

Browse Nearby Words

stagger grass
staggering
staggering bob
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Staggering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/staggering. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

staggering

adjective
stag·​ger·​ing
: so great as to cause one to stagger : astonishing, overwhelming
a staggering achievement
staggering medical bills
staggeringly
ˈstag-(ə-)riŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on staggering

Nglish: Translation of staggering for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See More

Popular

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All