stagger
/ˈstæɡ.ər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstæɡ.ɚ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsta-gər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈstæɡə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstæɡər/ (ame, ipa)
stagger — 動詞
- staggerpresent simple I / you / we / they
- staggers3rd person singular
- staggering-ing form
- staggeredpast simple
1. to walk with sudden, unsteady movements, as though you might fall, often because
蹣跚；踉蹌
走路不穩，像要跌倒
to walk with sudden, unsteady movements, as though you might fall, often because you are injured, dizzy, or carrying something heavy
After the long hike, Mei staggered into the cabin and collapsed onto the sofa.
長途健行後，Mei 蹣跚走進小屋，癱倒在沙發上。
stagger into [place] — movement toward a destination
The old man staggered under the weight of the heavy boxes he was carrying to the truck.
老人扛著沉重的箱子走向貨車，在重壓下踉蹌前行。
stagger under [weight/burden]
A young soldier staggered out of the burning building, covered in dust and coughing.
一名年輕士兵踉蹌地從起火的大樓中走出，滿身灰塵，不停咳嗽。
The toddler staggered across the room towards her father, her arms stretched out wide.
學步兒搖搖晃晃地穿過房間，張開雙臂朝爸爸走去。
Luisa staggered backwards when the heavy door suddenly swung open and hit her.
Luisa 向後踉蹌了幾步，因為沉重的門突然打開撞到了她。
- stride
to walk with long, confident steps
文法句型
stagger + adverb/preposition
stagger + direction
用法筆記
Frequently followed by a preposition of direction (into, out of, across, towards) or under when indicating a burden.
常見錯誤
2. to make someone feel a jolt of surprise so strong that they can barely accept or
震驚；使驚愕
讓人極度震驚難以置信
to make someone feel a jolt of surprise so strong that they can barely accept or process what they have learned
The news that the local hospital would close staggered the entire community.
當地醫院即將關閉的消息震驚了整個社區。
stagger + noun phrase (subject = event/ news)
Amara was staggered by the cost of repairing the old house — it was far more than she had saved.
Amara 被老屋的維修費用嚇到了——那遠比她存的錢還多。
passive: be staggered by [something]
Omar was staggered to learn that his childhood friend had moved away without telling anyone.
Omar 震驚地發現，他兒時的朋友沒告訴任何人就搬走了。
It staggered Yuna that her quiet neighbour had been a famous singer throughout the 1990s.
Yuna 震驚地發現她的鄰居在 1990 年代曾是位著名歌手。
The scale of the disaster staggered even the rescue workers, who had seen many emergencies before.
這場災難的規模之大，連見過許多緊急狀況的救援人員都感到震驚。
文法句型
stagger + noun phrase
be staggered + by + noun phrase
be staggered + to + infinitive
it staggers + noun phrase + that-clause
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice (be staggered). Subject is usually a piece of news, a fact, a number, or an event. The active form it staggers someone that... is common in formal or written English.
常見錯誤
3. to set work schedules, events, or activities at several different points in time
錯開；分散
將時間或活動安排在不同時段
to set work schedules, events, or activities at several different points in time instead of having them happen at the same moment
The school staggered the lunch breaks so that different year groups ate at separate times.
學校將午休時間錯開，讓不同年級的學生分批用餐。
stagger [noun: schedule items]
To reduce traffic jams, the company staggered its employees' start times between 7 and 10 a.m.
為了減少交通堵塞，這家公司將員工的上班時間分散在早上七點到十點之間。
stagger [noun] between [time A] and [time B]
The conference organizers staggered the talks so that no two popular events ran at the same hour.
會議主辦單位將座談時間錯開，以免兩個熱門活動在同一時段進行。
Many factories stagger their workers' shifts so that production can continue through the night.
許多工廠將工人輪班時間錯開，以便機器可以全天候運轉。
Teachers often stagger homework deadlines so students do not have three assignments due on the same day.
老師們經常將作業繳交期限分散，以免學生在同一天要交三份作業。
- spread out
less formal than stagger; can apply to both time and physical distribution
- alternate
implies a regular back-and-forth pattern rather than arbitrary spacing
- offset
focuses on starting at a different point, not necessarily at evenly spaced intervals
- concentrate
to bring together at the same time
- cluster
to group closely together in time
文法句型
stagger + noun phrase
stagger + noun phrase + between + time A + and + time B
用法筆記
Common in business, education, and logistics contexts. The object is typically a plural noun (hours, breaks, shifts, payments, deadlines).
4. to have race participants begin at different moments or from shifted starting ma
分梯起跑
讓選手在不同時間或位置出發
to have race participants begin at different moments or from shifted starting marks, so that those on the inside lanes do not benefit unfairly from the curve
The marathon staggered the start times, with the wheelchair racers going first.
馬拉松比賽採分梯起跑，輪椅組選手優先出發。
stagger start times (race context)
Runners in the 800-metre race are staggered on the track so that everyone covers the same distance.
八百公尺賽跑的選手在跑道上分梯出發，確保每個人的跑距相同。
passive: be staggered on the track
The officials staggered the competitors by placing faster runners further from the starting line.
裁判們將選手分梯安排，讓速度較快的選手站得離起跑線更遠。
In a biathlon, the athletes are staggered according to their previous race times.
冬季兩項比賽中，選手會根據前一次的比賽成績分梯出發。
- space out
more general; stagger in sports implies a fixed offset for fairness
文法句型
stagger the start
be staggered (of a race start)
stagger + competitors + on the track
用法筆記
Primarily used in sports commentary and race organisation. The passive construction is most common: the runners are staggered. Distinguish from sense 3 — sense 4 is specific to race starting positions.
stagger — 名詞
- staggersingular
- staggersplural
1. an unsteady manner of moving forward on foot, marked by shaky steps that make it
蹣跚；踉蹌
不穩快要跌倒的走路姿態
an unsteady manner of moving forward on foot, marked by shaky steps that make it look as though you may fall at any moment
Priya walked with a stagger after twisting her ankle on the rocky hiking trail.
Priya 在岩石遍布的登山步道上扭傷腳踝後，走路有些踉蹌。
walk with a stagger
After a day of seasickness, Theo managed only a slow stagger across the ship's deck.
暈船一整天後，Theo 只能搖搖晃晃地走過甲板。
The doctor noticed the patient's stagger and asked if he felt dizzy or lightheaded.
醫生注意到病人走路踉蹌，便問他是否感到頭暈。
With a final stagger, the exhausted climber reached the mountain hut and collapsed.
筋疲力竭的登山者最後踉蹌了幾步，終於抵達山屋後癱倒下來。
文法句型
a stagger
with a stagger
用法筆記
Typically used in the singular with an indefinite article (a stagger). Often paired with walk with or manage a stagger.
stagger — 形容詞
- staggerpositive
- staggerercomparative
- staggerestsuperlative
1. arranged in a pattern where rows, layers, or positions are not directly lined up
交錯的
以錯位方式排列的圖案或排列
arranged in a pattern where rows, layers, or positions are not directly lined up but are shifted slightly so that they overlap or alternate in a regular way
The chairs were arranged in three staggered rows so that everyone could see the stage clearly.
椅子排成三排交錯的列，讓每位觀眾都能清楚看到舞台。
staggered rows
The tiles on the bathroom floor had a staggered pattern, like bricks in a wall.
浴室地板的磁磚鋪成交錯的圖案，就像磚牆一樣。
staggered pattern
Farmers often plant crops in staggered lines to make the best use of sunlight and space.
農夫們經常以交錯的列來種植作物，以充分利用陽光和空間。
The carpenter laid the wooden planks in a staggered arrangement to make the floor stronger.
木匠以交錯排列的方式鋪設木板，讓地板更加堅固。
Staggered seating in the theatre allowed every audience member an unobstructed view.
劇院採用交錯式座位，讓每位觀眾都能毫無阻礙地看到舞台。
- alternating
focuses on the regular back-and-forth; staggered often implies an offset of half a unit
- offset
similar meaning but 'staggered' is more common in British English for rows
- zigzag
suggests a sharper, V-shaped pattern rather than a gentle shift
文法句型
staggered + noun
用法筆記
Common in construction, design, and agriculture. This is the adjectival use of the past participle staggered. It describes the resulting arrangement, not an action.