stir Definition
- 1to mix a liquid or other substance by moving an object such as a spoon in a circular pattern
- 2to cause a feeling or emotion to start to be felt
- 3to move slightly or make someone or something move slightly
Using stir: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "stir" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
Stir the soup until it is smooth.
Example
The speech stirred the audience to action.
Example
The wind stirred the leaves on the trees.
Example
She stirred her coffee with a spoon.
stir Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using stir
Example
He's always stirring the pot and causing drama.
Example
The patriotic music stirred the blood of the crowd, and they began to cheer.
Example
The beauty of the sunset over the ocean stirred my soul and brought tears to my eyes.
Phrases with stir
Example
He was always stirring up trouble at work.
stir one's imagination
to inspire or stimulate one's creativity or curiosity
Example
The beautiful scenery stirred my imagination and made me want to paint.
stir-crazy
feeling restless or anxious from being confined to a small space for too long
Example
After being stuck inside for days due to the snowstorm, I was starting to feel stir-crazy.
Origins of stir
from Old English 'styrian'
Summary: stir in Brief
To 'stir' [stɜːr] means to mix a substance, cause a feeling or emotion, or move slightly. It can refer to physical actions like stirring soup or emotional responses like stirring up trouble. Phrases like 'stir the pot' and idioms like 'stir the blood' denote deliberate provocation or emotional arousal. 'Stir' has formal synonyms like 'agitate' and informal ones like 'get going.'