Stagger vs Stumble - What's the difference?

In intransitive terms the difference between stagger and stumble

is that stagger is to begin to doubt and waver in purposes; to become less confident or determined; to hesitate while stumble is to make a mistake or have trouble.

In transitive terms the difference between stagger and stumble

is that stagger is multiple groups doing the same thing in a uniform fashion, but starting at different, evenly-spaced, times or places (attested from 1856) while stumble is to cause to stumble or trip.

As nouns the difference between stagger and stumble

is that stagger is an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing, as if one were about to fall; a reeling motion; vertigo; -- often in the plural; as, the stagger of a drunken man while stumble is a fall, trip or substantial misstep.

As verbs the difference between stagger and stumble

is that stagger is sway unsteadily, reel, or totter while stumble is to trip or fall; to walk clumsily.

stagger

English

Noun

(en noun)

An unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing, as if one were about to fall; a reeling motion; vertigo; -- often in the plural; as, the stagger of a drunken man.

A disease of horses and other animals, attended by reeling, unsteady gait or sudden falling; as, parasitic staggers; apoplectic or sleepy staggers.

bewilderment; perplexity.

In motorsport, the difference in circumference between the left and right tires on a racing vehicle. It is used on oval tracks to make the car turn better in the corners. Stock Car Racing magazine article on stagger, February 2009

Verb

(en verb)

sway unsteadily, reel, or totter

# In standing or walking, to sway from one side to the other as if about to fall; to stand or walk unsteadily; to reel or totter.

She began to stagger across the room.

#* Dryden

Deep was the wound; he staggered with the blow.

# To cause to reel or totter.

The powerful blow of his opponent's fist staggered the boxer.

#* Shakespeare

That hand shall burn in never-quenching fire / That staggers thus my person.

# To cease to stand firm; to begin to give way; to fail.

#* Addison

The enemy staggers .

doubt, waver, be shocked

# To begin to doubt and waver in purposes; to become less confident or determined; to hesitate.

#* Bible, Rom. iv. 20

He [Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief.

# To cause to doubt and waver; to make to hesitate; to make less steady or confident; to shock.

He will stagger the committee when he presents his report.

#* Howell

Whosoever will read the story of this war will find himself much staggered .

#* Burke

Grants to the house of Russell were so enormous, as not only to outrage economy, but even to stagger credibility.

Multiple groups doing the same thing in a uniform fashion, but starting at different, evenly-spaced, times or places (attested from 1856 Etymology] in [[:w:Online Etymology Dictionary, Online Etymology Dictionary]).

# To arrange (a series of parts) on each side of a median line alternately, as the spokes of a wheel or the rivets of a boiler seam.

# To arrange similar objects such that each is ahead or above and to one side of the next.

We will stagger the starting positions for the race on the oval track.

# To schedule in intervals.

We will stagger the run so the faster runners can go first, then the joggers.

References

Anagrams

stumble

English

Noun

(en noun)

A fall, trip or substantial misstep.

An error or blunder.

A clumsy walk.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-08, volume=407, issue=8839, page=52, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= The new masters and commanders , passage=From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.}}

Synonyms

* (a blunder) blooper, blunder, boo-boo, defect, error, fault, faux pas, fluff, gaffe, lapse, mistake, slip, thinko * See also

Verb

(stumbl)

To trip or fall; to walk clumsily.

* Sir Walter Scott

He stumbled up the dark avenue.

, title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage=I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for.}}

To make a mistake or have trouble.

To cause to stumble or trip.

(figurative) To mislead; to confound; to cause to err or to fall.

* Milton

False and dazzling fires to stumble men.

* John Locke

One thing more stumbles me in the very foundation of this hypothesis.

To strike or happen (upon a person or thing) without design; to fall or light by chance; with on'', ''upon'', or ''against .

* Dryden

Ovid stumbled , by some inadvertency, upon Livia in a bath.

* C. Smart

Forth as she waddled in the brake, / A grey goose stumbled on a snake.

Derived terms

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