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.
As he approached, Trujillo accidentally kicked over a glass of water on the marble floor, but Franco and his wife didn’t stir.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Throw in four bunches of baby bok choy and stir to coat them in flavored oil.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Hedge-fund manager David Einhorn caused a stir two years ago when he called markets “fundamentally broken.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, oil, buttermilk powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, parsley, black pepper and red pepper until well combined.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Everyone knows Hesterfowl loves to stir up chaos. It’s probably nothing, really.”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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
Keep an eye on No. 16, Rodri—he’s the midfielder who stirs it all, like a conductor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
A pair of heartwarming World Cup reflections: Soccer stirs up all sorts of emotions for fans.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
Prices are ticking up, and brokers are getting busier as something stirs Cuba's real estate market, long battered by sanctions, recession and mass emigration.
From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026
"Henry Moore's King and Queen stirs a strong response in those who view it," said a Christie's spokesperson.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2026
They create something in the pit of our stomachs that stirs up those emotions and more.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death on Saturday stirred up a mess of feelings.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
The manager with multiple lives stirred once more.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
And, to his left, Alexi Lalas, the red-maned former U.S. men’s national team player who’s forever stirred a Cosell-style fury among critics and fans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
While she vigorously stirred her bowl of bibimbap topped with natto, Smith knew that this would only make it even stringier.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Half of the water sloshed out but the boy stirred awake and soon began to lap it up.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
Dahlia Lithwick’s stirring opening essay is definitely worth a read.
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026
The Centre Court crowd rallied behind Djokovic, chanting the Serb's name in the hope of stirring him to a fightback - but opportunities remained difficult to come by.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
In the 1995 movie “The American President”, Michael Douglas’ character President Andrew Shepherd gives a stirring speech about that very topic.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
Standing in the half-finished cinder-block basement of the house that serves as the Ambulance Service’s HQ, Sadeq tipped a bowl of chopped onions into a large pot, stirring slowly as the oil sizzled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
“This. The final stop on your journey,” he said, stirring the contents of his cauldron so furiously that it spun like a whirlpool.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
