stir

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /stɝ/ UK /stɜː/ See IPA manual

Freq #6657

Meanings

1

verb
To mix a liquid or soft food by moving a spoon or other object around in it.

She stirred the soup with a wooden spoon.
2

verb
To cause strong feelings in someone; to move emotionally.

The film stirred deep memories of her childhood.
3

verb
To encourage people to take action, often trouble.

His angry speech stirred the crowd into protest.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to mix a liquid or soft... agitate

2 verb · to cause strong feelings in... touch move

3 verb · to encourage people to take... arouse incite provoke

Word family

Forms stirredstirringstirs

Derived forms astir bestiroverstirrestirstiraboutstirlessstirrablestirragestirrerunderstirunstirunstirred

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)twerH- Proto-Indo-European *(s)twr̥H-yé-ti? Proto-Germanic *sturjaną Proto-West Germanic *sturjan Old English styrian Middle English stiren English stir From Middle English stiren, sturien, steren, from Old English styrian (“to be in motion, move, agitate, stir, disturb, trouble”), from Proto-Germanic *sturiz (“turmoil, noise, confusion”), related to Proto-West Germanic *staurijan (“to destroy, disturb”). Cognate with Old Norse styrr (“turmoil, noise, confusion”), German stören (“to disturb”), Dutch storen (“to disturb”).

stiren Middle English styrian Old English *sturiz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

External links

# stir

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /stɝ/
**IPA (UK):** /stɜː/
**Frequency rank:** 6657

## Meanings
1. To mix a liquid or soft food by moving a spoon or other object around in it.
2. To cause strong feelings in someone; to move emotionally.
3. To encourage people to take action, often trouble.

## Examples
- She stirred the soup with a wooden spoon.
- The film stirred deep memories of her childhood.
- His angry speech stirred the crowd into protest.

## Derived Forms
- astir
- bestir
- overstir
- restir
- stirabout
- stirless
- stirrable
- stirrage
- stirrer
- understir
- unstir
- unstirred

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: stiren
- Root: styrian
- Root: *sturiz

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)twerH- Proto-Indo-European *(s)twr̥H-yé-ti? Proto-Germanic *sturjaną Proto-West Germanic *sturjan Old English styrian Middle English stiren English stir From Middle English stiren, sturien, steren, from Old English styrian (“to be in motion, move, agitate, stir, disturb, trouble”), from Proto-Germanic *sturiz (“turmoil, noise, confusion”), related to Proto-West Germanic *staurijan (“to destroy, disturb”). Cognate with Old Norse styrr (“turmoil, noise, confusion”), German stören (“to disturb”), Dutch storen (“to disturb”).

## AI Etymology
Stir is from Middle English stiren, sturien, steren, from Old English styrian (“to be in motion, move, agitate, stir, disturb, trouble”), from Proto-Germanic *sturiz (“turmoil, noise, confusion”), related to Proto-West Germanic *staurijan (“to destroy, disturb”). Cognate with Old Norse styrr (“turmoil, noise, confusion”), German stören (“to disturb”), Dutch storen (“to disturb”). In present-day use, it can mean to mix a liquid or soft food by moving a spoon or other object around in it, or to cause strong feelings in someone; to move emotionally.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Verbs of Movement

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stir

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