stir
/stə:/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb:
- To mix a liquid or substance by moving a spoon or other implement around in it: The primary meaning involves moving something in a circular motion to combine ingredients.
- To cause to move or change position slightly: To make a small, often gentle, movement.
- To arouse or excite a feeling, thought, or reaction: To provoke an emotional or mental response.
- To begin to move or become active: To start moving after being still or inactive.
Noun:
- A state of commotion, excitement, or public attention: A situation causing a flurry of activity or interest.
- An act of stirring: The action of mixing with a circular motion.
Usage
Verb (Transitive - to mix):
- Stir the sauce gently to prevent it from burning.
- She stirred sugar into her coffee.
Verb (Intransitive - to move slightly):
- He heard a noise and stirred in his sleep.
- The leaves stirred in the breeze.
Verb (Transitive - to arouse feelings):
- The speech stirred feelings of patriotism in the crowd.
- The old photograph stirred memories of her childhood.
Noun (commotion):
- The news of the scandal caused quite a stir.
- His sudden resignation created a stir in the office.
Advanced Usage
"to stir the pot": To cause trouble or controversy, often deliberately.
- The journalist liked to stir the pot with provocative articles.
"to stir someone's blood": To excite or arouse strong emotion or passion in someone.
- The martial music stirred the soldiers' blood.
"to stir one's stumps" (idiomatic, informal): To start moving or to hurry up.
- You'd better stir your stumps if you want to catch the bus.
Variants and Related Words
- Stirring (Adjective): Causing excitement or strong emotion; rousing.
- The leader gave a stirring speech.
- Stirrer (Noun): A person who habitually causes trouble; also, an implement for stirring.
- He's known as a troublemaker and a stirrer.
- Use a wooden stirrer for the paint.
Synonyms
- Verb (mix): Agitate, blend, mix.
- Verb (arouse): Excite, provoke, stimulate, awaken.
- Noun (commotion): Commotion, fuss, disturbance, uproar.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Stir up: To cause or provoke (a strong feeling or trouble).
- The politician's comments stirred up anger among voters.
- Don't stir up old arguments.
Related Idioms
- Not stir a finger: To make no effort to help.
- He didn't stir a finger to clean the house.
- Stir crazy (informal): Restless or anxious from being confined or bored.
- After a week of rain, the kids were getting stir crazy indoors.
Noun
- a rapid active commotion
- emotional agitation and excitement
- a prominent or sensational but short-lived news event
- he made a great splash and then disappeared
Verb
- mix or add by stirring
- Stir nuts into the dough
- to begin moving, "As the thunder started the sleeping children began to stir"
- summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic
- raise the specter of unemployment
- he conjured wild birds in the air
- call down the spirits from the mountain
- affect emotionally
- A stirring movie
- I was touched by your kind letter of sympathy
- stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of
- These stories shook the community
- the civil war shook the country
- stir feelings in
- stimulate my appetite
- excite the audience
- stir emotions
- move very slightly
- He shifted in his seat
- move an implement through
- stir the soup
- stir my drink
- stir the soil