staggered

[ stag-erd ]

adjective

1. arranged in a series of alternating or continually overlapping intervals of time:

   Board members serve staggered four-year terms, with new directors replacing outgoing ones each year.

2. arranged so as to alternate on either side of a center:

   A circular base approximately 2 meters in diameter is placed atop a couple of staggered layers of brick to allow for aeration from below.

3. scheduled or ordered in gradual stages; phased:

   Microsoft has confirmed that the new update will be a staggered release.

4. rendered helpless with astonishment; shocked:

   Shakespeare’s King Lear questions everything we know, posing to our staggered imaginations the possibility that the cosmos is immoral, even malevolent.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of stagger.

Other Words From

• un·stag·gered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of staggered¹

stagger ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

I’m staggered at the stupidity of people who bandy around dangerous words without having looked them up in the dictionary.

From Los Angeles Times

The days off are staggered throughtout the two weeks so the school can remain open.

From BBC

But, the Dodgers have been clearly, surprisingly staggered, after the reality check of a long afternoon, the unsettled recipients of one nasty sucker punch.

From Los Angeles Times

“The staggered expansion of the wildlife disease supports the causal interpretation of the results,” Frank wrote.

From Salon

On Wednesday, Oasis added two more Wembley dates to their tour, but said there would be a “staggered invitation-only ballot”.

From BBC

Related Words

• astonished
• awed
• baffled
• befuddled
• dazed
• mystified
• perplexed
• puzzled
• rattled
• shocked
• startled
• stunned
• surprised