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staggerer

staggerer

8.2
A person who walks unsteadily and looks about to fall
  • noun
  • /ˈstæɡərər/
translation icon : tambaleante
  • A sudden illness turned him into a staggerer, barely able to keep his balance.

Examples

  • The drunk man was a clear staggerer as he tried to cross the street.

  • After running the marathon, she became a staggerer on tired legs.

  • The staggerer stumbled down the street.

  • I saw a staggerer near the bar last night.

  • The drunk man was a clear staggerer as he tried to cross the street.

  • A sudden illness turned him into a staggerer, barely able to keep his balance.

  • After running the marathon, she became a staggerer on tired legs.

Synonyms

reeler
vsstaggerer
1 9.9

A person who walks unsteadily as if about to fall

is used when unsteadiness comes from weakness illness or intoxication
totterer
vsstaggerer
9.9

A person who walks unsteadily as if about to fall

is used when unsteadiness comes from weakness illness or intoxication
foot-wobbler
vsstaggerer
  • Informal
9.9

A person who walks unsteadily and often stumbles

is used when unsteadiness comes from weakness illness or intoxication

How Unsteady

staggerer
8.2
stumbler
6.7
walker
33 1.0

Surface Forms

staggerer singular
staggerers plural

Morphology

staggerer = stagger (transparent) = stagger + er

Formed by the regular agentive suffix '-er' added to the verb 'stagger'; a learner who knows 'stagger' can infer 'staggerer' as 'one who staggers'.

Etymology

The word staggerer comes from the verb stagger, which means 'to walk unsteadily', so a staggerer is a person who staggers. A helpful way to remember stagger is to think of it as a sound-like word that copies uneven steps or a sudden loss of balance, which is why a staggerer is someone who can barely keep their balance.