to move one's hand or an implement continuously or repeatedly through (a liquid or other substance) in order to cool, mix, agitate, dissolve, etc., any or all of the component parts.
to stir one's coffee with a spoon.
to set in tremulous, fluttering, or irregular motion.
A soft breeze stirred the leaves.
to affect strongly; excite.
to stir pity;
to stir one's heart.
to incite, instigate, or provoke (usually followed byup ).
to stir up a people to rebellion.
to move briskly; bestir.
to stir oneself.
to move, especially in a slight way.
He would not stir a finger to help them.
to rouse from inactivity, quiet, contentment, indifference, etc. (usually followed byup ).
to stir up his potential.
to bring up for notice or discussion.
Older Use. to disturb; trouble.
A slow wave of remembrance stirred her peace.
to move, especially slightly or lightly.
Not a leaf stirred.
to move around, especially briskly; be active.
Everyone in the house was stirring.
to become active, as from some rousing or quickening impulse.
to be emotionally moved or strongly affected.
to be in circulation, current, or afoot.
Is there any news stirring?
the act of stirring or moving.
the sound made by stirring or moving slightly.
a state or occasion of general excitement; commotion.
The news created a stir.
a mental impulse, sensation, or feeling.
a stir of hope.
a jog, poke, or thrust.
He gave the refuse a stir with his foot.
movement, especially brisk and busy movement.
There was too much clamor and stir for her.
to move an implement such as a spoon around in (a liquid) so as to mix up the constituents
she stirred the porridge
to change or cause to change position; disturb or be disturbed
he stirred in his sleep
to venture or depart (from one's usual or preferred place)
he won't stir from the fireside
(intr) to be active after a rest; be up and about
(tr) to excite or stimulate, esp emotionally
to move (oneself) briskly or vigorously; exert (oneself)
(tr) to rouse or awaken
to stir someone from sleep
to stir memories
informal to cause or incite others to cause (trouble, arguments, etc)
informal to move or become active
the act or an instance of stirring or the state of being stirred
a strong reaction, esp of excitement
his publication caused a stir
a slight movement
informal a noisy party
See ado.
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb stiren, Old English styrian; cognate with German stören “to disturb, interrupt”; akin to Old Norse styrr “disturbance, brawl”; see storm
First rcorded in 1830–35; argot word of obscure origin; perhaps from Romani sturiben “prison,” staripen “imprison”; compare earlier argot start in same sense
To stir is to mix something up. You can literally stir cake batter with a spoon, or figuratively stir someone's emotions by writing them a heartfelt letter. You can stir muffin batter with a wooden spoon, and stir in a cup of blueberries. When people stir, they start to move after being still or asleep: "It was only five o'clock, but he could hear the kids start to stir." And when something stirs you, it brings up some emotion: "That music always stirs up my sad memories." Stir shares a root with the Old Norse styrr, "tumult or disturbance."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pour over the rice and stir gently to combine.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
But a cut is on the horizon if a weak jobs and inflation stir up Wall Street.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Just as important as Kiffin’s ability to light up scoreboards was his knack for using any microphone within earshot to stir up attention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Boomboxes in the 1980s and 1990s, for example, caused a stir.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Worn out, indeed, I was; not another step could I stir.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Cocktail writer Kara Newman featured Paper Plane in her recent book “Shake. Stir. Sip.” and calls it one of her favorites.
From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2017
Yes, “Spa Weekend” is a plate of reheated “Wedding Crashers” nachos, because no one stirs up cheerful chaos like the spirited Fisher.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Being put on a PIP by someone who used to be your equal probably stirs up feelings of inadequacy.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
A pair of heartwarming World Cup reflections: Soccer stirs up all sorts of emotions for fans.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
The $60 million production, paid for the UFC and sponsors, was a logistical Everest, but also the sort of society-shocking stunt that stirs something primal in UFC Barnum Dana White.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
A troll stirs a large pot alongside a winged pixie.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Mychal Threets, the Bay Area librarian who hosts PBS’ reboot of “Reading Rainbow,” stirred concern among fans earlier this week after saying on social media that he is “not okay” and seeking treatment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Rather than wake the person, Rubio said he kept watching for signs of breathing until the passenger finally stirred.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Throughout human history eclipses have stirred amazement, fear and reverence, as they appear to momentarily halt the normal course of nature.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
But just the idea of a comeback has stirred nostalgia among people who remember the MySpace days of more than 20 years ago as a place where personal pages were messy, loud, and deeply individual.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
The banana leaves stirred up a breeze as Saleem pushed through them.
From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins
Armed with an eloquent, righteous fury, he speaks to journalists with a stirring moral authority.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
The five-piece Seattle band, who play "aggressive yet emotionally stirring heavy metal" according to AllMusic, external, released their 12th album in September 2025 and have 350,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
At Mars, the solar wind appears to produce a similar effect by "stirring" the outer boundary of the upper atmosphere.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
"It'd all go to waste otherwise," he told AFP, while stirring a metre-radius metal pan perched atop a gas burner filled with ratatouille.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Grandma Mae would have us rolling out the pie dough and stirring up her chocolate chip cornflake cookies.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
