astir

American  

[uh-stur] / əˈstɜr /

adjective

1. moving or stirring, especially with much activity or excitement.

   The field was astir with small animals, birds, and insects.

2. up and about; out of bed.

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astir British  

/ əˈstɜː /

adjective

1. awake and out of bed

2. in motion; on the move

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Etymology

Origin of astir

before 1000; Middle English, Old English; a- ¹, stir ¹

Example Sentences

Shiny skyscrapers loom on the horizon; their squat, worn building, home to their clan since 1902, marks a contrast, nestled within a crowded complex astir with chatter and dust.

From New York Times

News reporters were astir and skipped this curtain scene.

From New York Times

And Korie’s text, which often tips into rhyme, can tend risible: “A feeling I infer of anarchy astir.”

From New York Times

Very early the next morning I heard him up and astir, wandering from one room to another.

From Literature

Soon the gardeners would be astir, brushing the first leaves from the lawns and the paths, raking the gravel in the drive.

From Literature