staggered
staggered — 形容詞
1. feeling extreme surprise and shock because something completely unexpected has h
震驚的
因意外而感到極度驚訝
feeling extreme surprise and shock because something completely unexpected has happened — for example, being staggered by a price, a medical result, or a sudden success.
Mei-Lin was staggered by the news that her younger brother had won the national chess championship.
Mei-Lin 得知弟弟贏得全國西洋棋冠軍後感到非常震驚。
be staggered by + noun phrase
The doctors looked staggered when the patient who had been in a coma suddenly opened his eyes.
那位昏迷的病人突然睜開眼睛時，醫護人員都看呆了。
Javier felt completely staggered after learning that the company had offered him the manager job.
Javier 得知公司把經理職位給了他之後，感到非常震驚。
The villagers were staggered to receive a large donation from someone they had never met before.
村民們收到一個素未謀面的人捐了一大筆錢，都震驚不已。
Fatima was staggered that the repair bill came to over three thousand dollars for such a small leak.
Fatima 對於這麼小的漏水問題修理費竟超過三千美元感到難以置信。
- astonished
more neutral; can be positive or negative
- dumbfounded
stronger; implies being so shocked you cannot speak
- flabbergasted
informal; expresses humorous or exaggerated surprise
- unsurprised
expecting what happened
- unmoved
not emotionally affected
文法句型
be staggered + at/by + noun
be staggered + to-infinitive
be staggered + that-clause
用法筆記
Commonly used in passive structures (be staggered). Often followed by the prepositions at or by, or by a to-infinitive or that-clause explaining the cause of the shock.
常見錯誤
2. arranged so that events happen at different times or objects are placed in posit
交錯的
安排在不同時間或位置以避免擁擠
arranged so that events happen at different times or objects are placed in positions that are not in a straight line, in order to spread out activity or avoid crowding.
The factory introduced staggered shifts so that fewer workers arrived at the same time each morning.
工廠實施了交錯班次，這樣每天早上就不會有太多工人同時抵達。
staggered + noun (shifts / hours / working times)
Students take their final exams on staggered dates to prevent overcrowding in the examination hall.
學生們在不同日期參加期末考試，以免考場過度擁擠。
The garden has staggered rows of tomato plants, with taller varieties behind the shorter ones.
花園裡的番茄植株排列成交錯的行列，較高的品種種在較矮的後面。
Payments for the new sofa can be made in staggered amounts over the next six months.
新沙發的費用可以分六個月分期繳納。
The apartment windows are set in a staggered pattern so each unit gets sunlight at different times of the day.
公寓窗戶採用交錯設計，讓每戶在不同時間都能照到陽光。
- alternating
focuses on the back-and-forth pattern rather than the purpose of spreading things out
- offset
used for physical positioning; common in design and architecture
- staggered out
more informal; implies spreading over a period of time
- simultaneous
happening at the same time
- aligned
arranged in a straight line
文法句型
staggered + noun (hours / payments / rows / dates)
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively as an attributive adjective before a noun (staggered working hours, staggered payments, staggered rows). Rarely used predicatively (*the hours are staggered is possible but sounds slightly less natural).
常見錯誤
staggered — 動詞
1. to walk or move with weak, unsteady steps, as if you are about to fall, usually
蹣跚而行
腳步不穩幾乎跌倒
to walk or move with weak, unsteady steps, as if you are about to fall, usually because you are injured, exhausted, or affected by alcohol or illness.
After running for three hours under the hot sun, Mateo staggered into the shade and sat down heavily.
Mateo 在烈日下跑了三個小時後，搖搖晃晃地走到陰涼處，重重坐了下來。
stagger + into [place]
The old woman staggered across the room, gripping the furniture for support with every step.
老婦人步履蹣跚地穿過房間，每走一步都緊抓家具來支撐身體。
A strong wave hit the side of the boat, and the sailor staggered sideways, clutching the rail.
一個大浪打在船舷上，船員被衝得往旁邊踉蹌了一步，緊緊抓住欄杆。
The injured fox staggered down the road, leaving small drops of blood on the gravel.
受傷的狐狸跌跌撞撞地沿著路走去，在碎石上留下一滴滴血跡。
文法句型
stagger + adverb/preposition (into / across / towards / down)
用法筆記
Typically followed by a preposition or adverb of direction (into, across, towards, down, out). The subject is usually a person or animal weakened by injury, illness, exhaustion, or a physical blow.
常見錯誤
2. to shock or surprise someone so deeply that they find it hard to believe or acce
使震驚
使人大吃一驚難以置信
to shock or surprise someone so deeply that they find it hard to believe or accept what they have just learned — used especially for unexpected facts, costs, or discoveries that challenge one's assumptions.
The price of the old painting staggered the museum directors, who had expected a much lower bid.
那幅古畫的價格讓博物館主管們大為震驚，他們原本預期出價會低得多。
stagger + direct object (person/group)
It staggered the rescue workers that anyone could have survived the crash with so few injuries.
讓救援人員震驚的是，竟然有人在墜機事故中只受了輕傷就倖存下來。
it staggers + noun + that-clause
What staggered the committee most was the speed at which the new software had been developed.
讓委員會最吃驚的是這套新軟體的開發速度之快。
Olga was staggered to discover that her great-grandmother had been a pilot during the war.
Olga 發現她的曾祖母在戰爭期間曾是飛行員，對此感到非常驚訝。
The sheer number of homeless animals in the city staggered everyone who volunteered at the shelter.
這座城市裡流浪動物的數量之多，讓每個在收容所擔任志工的人都大吃一驚。
文法句型
stagger + noun
it staggers + noun + that-clause
be staggered + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Common in passive voice (be staggered). In active voice, the subject is typically a fact, number, price, or discovery — not a person. Unlike surprise, stagger implies that the information is so shocking it almost stuns you into disbelief.
常見錯誤
3. to set a series of events, payments, shifts, or physical items at deliberately d
交錯安排
將事件或物品安排在錯開的時間
to set a series of events, payments, shifts, or physical items at deliberately different times or positions, preventing them from all occurring together or overlapping.
The school staggers the lunch breaks so that three different groups eat in the cafeteria at different times.
學校錯開午餐時間，讓三個不同組別的學生分批到餐廳用餐。
stagger + plural direct object (breaks / shifts / payments)
To manage their monthly budget better, the Nguyen family staggered their rent and utility bill due dates.
Nguyen 一家為了更好管理每月預算，把房租和水電費的繳費日期錯開。
The delivery company staggers its truck schedules to prevent long queues at the loading dock.
貨運公司將卡車的發車時間交錯安排，以免裝卸區排起長龍。
Naveen staggered the planting of his vegetable seeds by two weeks so that the harvest would last longer into the autumn.
Naveen 把蔬菜種子的播種時間間隔兩週，這樣收成可以一直持續到秋天。
- space out
less formal; means to put intervals between things
- spread out
emphasises distributing over a longer period
- offset
used for physical arrangement rather than time
- concentrate
to bring together at one time or place
- align
to bring into the same position or time
文法句型
stagger + noun
stagger + noun + so that / to / over
用法筆記
The object is always a plural or collective noun (shifts, payments, start times) — you cannot stagger a single event. The purpose is almost always to reduce pressure, congestion, or workload.
常見錯誤
staggered — 名詞
1. a way of walking in which a person or animal moves with unsteady, side-to-side s
蹣跚步伐
搖晃不穩的走路方式
a way of walking in which a person or animal moves with unsteady, side-to-side steps, as if about to fall, usually caused by exhaustion, injury, or illness.
The runner's slow stagger across the finish line surprised everyone who had watched him fall during the race.
那位跑者搖搖晃晃地走過終點線，讓所有看到他在比賽中跌倒的人大吃一驚。
possessive + stagger — describes a person's unsteady movement
With a noticeable stagger, the exhausted mountaineer made her way toward the rescue hut.
疲憊不堪的登山者腳步明顯不穩，朝著救援小屋走去。
with a stagger — adverbial phrase for manner
The patient's slow stagger down the hospital hallway showed how weak she still felt after the surgery.
病人沿著醫院走廊緩慢蹣跚的步伐，顯示出她手術後仍然十分虛弱。
Each small stagger brought the injured bird closer to the thick bush where it could hide from the cat.
那隻受傷的鳥兒每一步蹣跚都讓牠更靠近茂密的灌木叢，在那裡牠可以躲開貓咪。
- stride
a long, confident step
- steady walk
controlled and balanced movement
文法句型
a stagger
with a stagger
用法筆記
Almost always used in the singular with a determiner (a stagger, his stagger). Less common than the verb form; in everyday speech, people prefer to use the verb (he staggered across the room) rather than the noun (his stagger across the room).