Literary notes about staggered (AI summary)
Writers employ "staggered" in diverse ways to evoke both physical imbalance and deep emotional or psychological shock. It can describe a literal faltering step when a character is overcome by fatigue or injury, as when one stumbles under the weight of bodily distress [1][2]. At the same time, it frequently conveys a sudden, overwhelming reaction to startling news or unexpected events—capturing the moment when a character is figuratively unmoored by their emotions [3][4]. Through this flexible usage, "staggered" enriches narrative tone, blurring the line between corporeal instability and the intangible impact of shock.
- When he came out he staggered in his walk, and was evidently pretty well on.
— from A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle - Major staggered to his feet, but the blood spouting from his throat reddened the snow in a widening path.
— from White Fang by Jack London - 2 “Impossible!” said Dantès, staggered at the enormous amount.
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - Mr. Winkle actually staggered with astonishment as he heard his own costume thus minutely described.
— from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
