Stir — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈstər/

Meaning & Definition of Stir

Stir (verb)

  1. to disturb the relative position of the particles or parts of especially by a continued circular movement —often used with up
  2. to mix by or as if by stirring —often used with in
  3. to cause an especially slight movement or change of position of

Stir (noun)

  1. a state of disturbance, agitation, or brisk activity
  2. widespread notice and discussion, impression
  3. a slight movement
  4. prison

Stir (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly

    "the recipe says to stir the mixture carefully until it's properly blended"

    similar: agitate, churn, swirl, wash, whirl
    related: beat, paddle, whip, whisk, reel, shake, wheel

  2. to change one's position

    "the cat stirred, then opened its eyes and slowly got to its feet"

    similar: budge, locomote, move, shift
    related: fiddle, fidget, jiggle, squiggle, squirm, toss, twitch, wiggle, wriggle, writhe, rouse
    opposite: freeze, still
    near: hang around, remain, stay, stick around, tarry, stabilize

  3. to rouse to strong feeling or action

    "news coverage of the fire stirred many to send donations to a fund for the families who had lost their homes"

    similar: arouse, encourage, excite, fire (up), impassion, incite, instigate, move, pique, provoke, rev (up), spark, stimulate, build a fire under
    related: fan, ignite, inflame, kindle, trigger, activate, animate, drive, energize, galvanize, induce, inspire, key (up), motivate, motive, pump up, quicken, set off, vitalize, abet, ferment, foment, raise, whip (up), anger, enrage, madden, upset, jeer, taunt, tease, aggravate, annoy, bother, exasperate, gall, get, irritate, vex
    near: calm, soothe, subdue, tranquilize, appease, mollify, pacify, placate

Stir (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a state of noisy, confused activity

    "the plane's first jolt caused a stir among the passengers, and by the third one they were in a panic"

    similar: ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, clutter (chiefly dialect), coil, commotion, disturbance, do (chiefly dialect), foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, helter-skelter, hoo-ha, hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly, hurly-burly, hurricane, hurry, hurry-scurry, 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
    related: cacophony, clamor, din, howl, hue and cry, noise, outcry, racket, roar, disorder, unrest, upheaval, eruption, flare-up, flurry, flutter, outbreak, outburst, brawl, fracas, fray, hassle, melee, scuffle, dither, fever, fret, lather, tizzy
    near: calm, hush, peace, quiet, quietude, rest, stillness, tranquility, order, orderliness

  2. the act or an instance of changing position

    "we were warned that the slightest stir would scare the mother bird so we hardly dared to breathe"

    similar: motion, move, movement, shift, shifting, stirring
    related: dislocation, migration, relocation, locomotion, mobility, motility, motivity, fiddling, fidgeting, squirm, squirming, twitching, wriggling, writhing, flailing, flapping, waving
    opposite: motionlessness
    near: immobility, inertia, inertness, stillness, cessation, discontinuance, ending, expiration, finish, halt, lapse, pause, shutdown, shutoff, stop, stoppage, surcease, termination

  3. a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody

    "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"

    similar: bastille, big house (slang), bridewell, brig, calaboose, can, clink (slang), cooler, coop, guardroom, hock, hold, hoosegow, jail, jailhouse, joint (slang), jug, lockup, nick (British slang), pen, penitentiary, pokey (slang), prison, quod (British slang), slam, slammer, stockade, tolbooth (Scottish)
    related: bull pen, cage, cell, hole, tank, block, ward, glasshouse (British), guardhouse, hulk(s), concentration camp, gulag, labor camp, prison camp, stalag, work camp, dungeon, keep, oubliette, reformatory, reform school, training school
    near: outside

Related Entry: Stir (up) (verb)

Stir (up) is a different word from Stir. The synonyms below are for stir (up), not for stir.

  1. to bring something (volatile or intense) into being

    "couldn't stir up any interest in a Saturday morning outing to the art museum"

    similar: abet, brew, ferment, foment, incite, instigate, pick, provoke, raise, whip (up), set in motion
    related: advance, cultivate, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote, sow, stimulate, detonate, set, set off, trigger, excite, galvanize, inflame, inspire, motivate, rouse, activate, energize, enliven, fire, invigorate, jazz (up), liven (up), pep (up), quicken, vitalize
    near: bridle, check, constrain, curb, discourage, hold, inhibit, regulate, rein (in), restrain, tame, allay, calm, quiet, settle, soothe, still, subdue, tranquilize

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Stir

The most common words with a similar meaning to Stir:

Slang: big house, clink, joint, pokey
Chiefly dialect: clutter, do
Scottish: splore, tolbooth
British slang: nick, quod
Chiefly British: kerfuffle
agitate, churn, swirl, wash, whirl, budge, locomote, move, shift, arouse, encourage, excite, fire (up), impassion, incite, instigate, pique, provoke, rev (up), spark, stimulate, build a fire under, ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, coil, commotion, disturbance, foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, helter-skelter

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Stir

Words with the opposite meaning of Stir:

freeze, still, motionlessness

Related Words for Stir

beat, paddle, whip, whisk, reel, shake, wheel, fiddle, fidget, jiggle, squiggle, squirm, toss, twitch, wiggle, wriggle, writhe, rouse, fan, ignite, inflame, kindle, trigger, activate, animate, drive, energize, galvanize, induce, inspire

Near Antonyms of Stir

hang around, remain, stay, stick around, tarry, stabilize, calm, soothe, subdue, tranquilize, appease, mollify, pacify, placate, hush, peace, quiet, quietude, rest, stillness, tranquility, order, orderliness, immobility, inertia, inertness, cessation, discontinuance, ending, expiration

Word Forms of Stir

Inflections: stirred, stirring

Derived words: stirrer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Stir

Middle English, from Old English styrian; akin to Old High German stōren to scatter

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Stir

Words & Phrases Containing Stir

stir-crazy, stir-fry, stir up, stir oneself, kick/whip/stir up a storm

Frequently Asked Questions about Stir

What does "Stir" mean?

"Stir" means to disturb the relative position of the particles or parts of especially by a continued circular movement —often used with up. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to disturb the relative position of the particles or parts of especially by a continued circular movement —often used with up. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Stir"?

Other words for "Stir" include agitate, churn, swirl, wash, whirl, budge, locomote and move. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Stir" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Stir"?

There are 227 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Stir". Common alternatives include agitate, churn, swirl, wash, whirl, budge, locomote, move, shift and arouse.

What is a slang word for "Stir"?

Slang words for "Stir" include big house, clink, joint, pokey, nick and quod.

What is the opposite of "Stir"?

Antonyms of "Stir" include freeze, still and motionlessness. Near antonyms include hang around, remain, stay and stick around.

How do you use "Stir" in a sentence?

Examples of "Stir" in a sentence: "the recipe says to stir the mixture carefully until it's properly blended"; "the cat stirred, then opened its eyes and slowly got to its feet"; "news coverage of the fire stirred many to send donations to a fund for the families who had lost their homes".

Is "Stir" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Stir" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Stir" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Stir" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.