stir

UK: /ˈstɜː^r/ US: /stɝ/ ,(stûr)

Inflections of 'stir' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

stirs

v 3rd person singular

stirring

v pres p

stirred

v past

stirred

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

stir¹ /stɜr/   v., stirred, stir•ring, n. 
v. 

1. to mix or agitate (a liquid or other substance) with a continuous movement of a spoon, a stick, etc.:
   [~ + object] I stirred sugar into my coffee.
2. to move in a fluttering, irregular motion: [~ + object]
   A soft breeze stirred the leaves.
   [no object]
   The leaves stirred in the soft breeze.
3. to move, esp. in a slight way: [~ + object]
   He didn't stir a finger to help.
   [no object]
   She was sleeping so soundly she didn't stir when I came in.
4. to excite (people or their feelings), as from a quiet state into an active one: [~ + object]
   to stir pity.
   [~ + up + object]
   He enjoys stirring up trouble over nothing.
   [~ + object + up]
   stirring them up to revolt.
   [no object]
   At long last the people stirred and recognized him for the crook that he was.
5. to move around, esp. quickly: [no object]
   The children were awake and stirring before dawn.
   [~ + object]
   to stir oneself.

n. [countable]

6. the act of stirring or moving:
   a few slow stirs of the coffee.
7. a state or occasion of general excitement;
   commotion:
   [usually singular] What's all the stir?

stir•rer, n. [countable]

stir² /stɜr/   n. [uncountable]

1. Slang Terms prison.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

stir¹ (stûr),  v., stirred, stir•ring, n. 

v.t. 

1. 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.
2. to set in tremulous, fluttering, or irregular motion:
   A soft breeze stirred the leaves.
3. to affect strongly;
   excite:
   to stir pity; to stir one's heart.
4. to incite, instigate, or prompt (usually fol. by up):
   to stir up a people to rebellion.
5. to move briskly;
   bestir:
   to stir oneself.
6. to move, esp. in a slight way:
   He would not stir a finger to help them.
7. to rouse from inactivity, quiet, contentment, indifference, etc. (usually fol. by up):
   to stir up his potential.
8. to bring up for notice or discussion.
9. to disturb;
   trouble.

v.i. 

10. to move, esp. slightly or lightly:
    Not a leaf stirred.
11. to move around, esp. briskly;
    be active:
    Everyone in the house was stirring.
12. to become active, as from some rousing or quickening impulse.
13. to be emotionally moved or strongly affected.
14. to be in circulation, current, or afoot:
    Is there any news stirring?

n. 

15. the act of stirring or moving.
16. the sound made by stirring or moving slightly.
17. a state or occasion of general excitement;
    commotion:
    The news created a stir.
18. a mental impulse, sensation, or feeling:
    a stir of hope.
19. a jog, poke, or thrust:
    He gave the refuse a stir with his foot.
20. movement, esp. brisk and busy movement:
    There was too much clamor and stir for her.

• bef. 900; Middle English stiren (verb, verbal), Old English styrian; cognate with German stören; akin to Old Norse styrr disturbance; see storm

stir′ra•ble, adj. 
stir′less, adj. 
stir′less•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. disturb.
• 4. rouse, foment, arouse, provoke, stimulate, goad, spur.
• 17. fuss, pother, agitation, disorder, uproar. See ado. 
• 20. bustle,

Antonyms

• 17. quiet.

stir² (stûr), n. [Slang.]

1. Slang Terms prison.

• 1850–55; argot word of obscure orig; compare earlier argot start in same sense

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

stir / stɜː/ verb (stirs, stirring, stirred)

1. to move an implement such as a spoon around in (a liquid) so as to mix up the constituents: she stirred the porridge
2. to change or cause to change position; disturb or be disturbed: he stirred in his sleep
3. (intransitive) often followed by from: to venture or depart (from one's usual or preferred place): he won't stir from the fireside
4. (intransitive) to be active after a rest; be up and about
5. (transitive) to excite or stimulate, esp emotionally
6. to move (oneself) briskly or vigorously; exert (oneself)
7. (transitive) to rouse or awaken: to stir someone from sleep, to stir memories
8. 
   when tr, followed by up: to cause or incite others to cause (trouble, arguments, etc)
9. stir one's stumps ⇒ to move or become active

noun

1. the act or an instance of stirring or the state of being stirred
2. a strong reaction, esp of excitement: his publication caused a stir
3. a slight movement
4. a noisy party

Etymology: Old English styrian; related to Middle High German stürn to poke, stir, Norwegian styrja to cause a commotion; see storm, sturgeon

stir / stɜː/ noun

1. a slang word for prison: in stir

Etymology: 19th Century: perhaps from Romany stariben prison

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Stir. abbreviation

1. Stirlingshire