Link Centre Dictionary

stir

UK/stɪr/ US/stɜː/ fairly common slang
verb (8) noun (3)

verb

1.

move an implement through with a circular motion

  • “stir the soup”
  • “stir my drink”
2.

move very slightly

  • “He shifted in his seat”
Synonyms
3.

stir feelings in

  • “stimulate my appetite”
  • “excite the audience”
  • “stir emotions”
Synonyms
4.

stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of

  • “These stories shook the community”
  • “the civil war shook the country”
Synonyms
5.

affect emotionally

  • “A stirring movie”
  • “I was touched by your kind letter of sympathy”
Synonyms
6.

evoke or call forth, with or as if by magic

  • “raise the specter of unemployment”
  • “he conjured wild birds in the air”
  • “stir a disturbance”
  • “call down the spirits from the mountain”
Synonyms
7.

to begin moving, "As the thunder started the sleeping children began to stir"

Synonyms
8.

mix or add by stirring

  • “Stir nuts into the dough”

noun

1.

a disorderly outburst or tumult

  • “they were amazed by the furious disturbance they had caused”
Synonyms
2.
3.

Origin

From Middle English stiren, sturien, steren, from Old English styrian (“to be in motion, move, agitate, stir, disturb, trouble”), from Proto-Germanic *sturiz (“turmoil, noise, confusion”), related to Proto-West Germanic *staurijan (“to destroy, disturb”).

Phrases

  • cause a stir
  • stand and stir

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

See also

Related verbs

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.