stirred; stirring
1
a
: to cause an especially slight movement or change of position of
tied so tightly he could scarcely stir a finger
b
: to disturb the quiet of : agitate
—often used with up
the bear stirred up the bees
2
a
: to disturb the relative position of the particles or parts of especially by a continued circular movement
stirred the paint with a paddle
stir the fire
—often used with upstirred up mud from the lake bottom
b
: to mix by or as if by stirring
stir one's coffee
—often used with instir in the spices
4
: to bring into notice or debate : raise
—often used with up
stir up sensitive issues
1
a
: to make a slight movement
The leaves were barely stirring.
b
: to begin to move (as in rousing)
She heard him stirring in bed.
c
: to shift to another location : budge
haven't stirred since I arrived
2
: to begin to be active
The factory stirred to life.
3
: to be active or busy
Not a creature was stirring …—
Clement Moore
Clement Moore4
: to pass an implement through a substance with a circular movement
washed the spoon she was stirring with
5
: to be able to be stirred
Add water until the mixture stirs easily.
stirrer
noun
1
a
: a state of disturbance, agitation, or brisk activity
b
: widespread notice and discussion : impression
the book caused quite a stir
2
: a slight movement
3
: a stirring movement
Synonyms
Verb
Noun (1)
- ado
- alarums and excursions
- ballyhoo
- blather
- bluster
- bobbery
- bother
- bustle
- clatter
- clutter [chiefly dialect]
- coil
- commotion
- corroboree [Australian]
- disturbance
- do [chiefly dialect]
- foofaraw
- fun
- furor
- furore
- fuss
- helter-skelter
- hoo-ha
- hoo-hah
- hoopla
- hubble-bubble
- hubbub
- hullabaloo
- hurly
- hurly-burly
- hurricane
- hurry
- hurry-scurry
- hurry-skurry
- kerfuffle [chiefly British]
- moil
- pandemonium
- pother
- row
- ruckus
- ruction
- rumpus
- shindy
- splore [Scottish]
- squall
- stew
- storm
- to-do
- tumult
- turmoil
- uproar
- welter
- whirl
- williwaw
- zoo
Noun (2)
Examples of stir in a Sentence
Verb
The cake batter must be stirred for 10 minutes.
Stir one cup of sugar into the batter.
She was stirred from her sleep by the noise.
The breeze stirred the leaves on the tree.
We could see people stirring inside the shop.
A good book can stir the imagination.
Noun (1)
the plane's first jolt caused a stir among the passengers, and by the third one they were in a panic
we were warned that the slightest stir would scare the mother bird so we hardly dared to breathe
Noun (2)
the mule had just got out of stir and was being followed by the feds, who had their sights set on the kingpin of the operation
Recent Examples on the Web
Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024
Ingredients: 1 part Lo-Fi Gentian Amaro 1 part Mezcal
Directions: Build over ice in a rocks glass and lightly stir to mix, creating a smoky, intriguing sip.
—Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Amie Parnes, The Hill, 3 Nov. 2024
The Trump era has even affected some of the dynamics at the high school where Joe teaches; particularly when Trump first ran, students brought Trump banners to school, causing a stir.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stir 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
—Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024
Ingredients: 1 part Lo-Fi Gentian Amaro 1 part Mezcal
Directions: Build over ice in a rocks glass and lightly stir to mix, creating a smoky, intriguing sip.
—Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
Speakers at a Trump rally in New York City last weekend caused a stir when a comedian made inappropriate jokes about Latinos and Puerto Rico.
—Amie Parnes, The Hill, 3 Nov. 2024
The Trump era has even affected some of the dynamics at the high school where Joe teaches; particularly when Trump first ran, students brought Trump banners to school, causing a stir.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stir
Dictionary Entries Near stir
Cite this Entry
“Stir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stir. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stir
1 of 2 verb
stirred; stirring
1
a
: to make or cause to make an especially small movement or change of position
the leaves were barely stirring
b
: to disturb the quiet of : agitate
the bear stirred up the bees
2
: to mix, dissolve, or make especially by a continued circular movement
stir the pudding
3
4
: to be active or busy
not a creature was stirring
stirrer
noun
stir
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a state of disturbance, upset, or action
b
: widespread notice and discussion : impression
2
: a small movement
3
: a stirring movement
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