chanceler

to totter

verb shahn-suh-LEH Rare

Also means

to stagger

Usage Note

Chanceler describes unsteady, wobbling movement — a person chancelle when drunk, exhausted, or shaken; a government or regime can also chanceler metaphorically when its authority is weakening. It is conjugated like appeler (doubling the 'l' in some forms: je chancelle). The related adjective chancelant means 'unsteady' or 'faltering'.

Examples

"Il chancelait sous le poids du sac."

Natural Translation

He was staggering under the weight of the bag.

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