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.
Throw in four bunches of baby bok choy and stir to coat them in flavored oil.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
At one session, Rodriguez taught the class how to make a stir fry, which included four portions costing £2 each.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
These conversations help us see the depth in one another and stir the beginnings of trust our culture needs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Pour in chicken stock and milk, and stir.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
His eyes roved wildly beneath closed lids, and he did not stir, except to mutter something unintelligible.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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
A pair of heartwarming World Cup reflections: Soccer stirs up all sorts of emotions for fans.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
Nothing stirs up Taylor Swift's fervent fan base quite like new material.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
A month after banning raw lithium exports, Zimbabwe is tightening its regulations and ramping up its crackdown on mineral smuggling in a major shake-up that is winning local praise even as it stirs concerns.
From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026
The title references the film “Casablanca,” and its piano player, Sam, whose music stirs up memories of the central love story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026
A swarm of butterflies stirs in my stomach, and my heart starts hammering again.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death on Saturday stirred up a mess of feelings.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
It is the character of Jonasi, the patriarch of the Gomora family, that has stirred up the most feelings.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexi Lalas have stirred the pot on Fox as Thierry Henry and Rebecca Lowe keep the ball moving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 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
Warm drafts from the window whistled and stirred the air in the room.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Dahlia Lithwick’s stirring opening essay is definitely worth a read.
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026
The Chapter One gatherings quickly taught me how the long lulls broken up by spurts of passion that I once found a drag were actually as stirring as a religious experience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Parallel to Byrd’s stirring public advocacy is a crucial personal thread: her nurturing of Shelly, whose progressing dementia requires regular supervision.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 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
He shook his lasso of poison vines and insulted the monsters’ bad breath, stirring them into a fury.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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.
