English Lexicon

Stir Up

/stɜːr ʌp/
verbCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #1500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb
  1. 1

    To mix or agitate a substance, often in a container, to combine its components.

    "She decided to stir up the ingredients in the bowl to ensure they were well mixed."
  2. 2

    To provoke or incite a reaction or feeling in someone.

    "The speech was designed to stir up enthusiasm among the crowd."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The phrase 'stir up' combines the verb 'stir', which originates from Old English 'styran', meaning to disturb or agitate, and 'up', a preposition from Old English 'upp', indicating direction. Over time, the phrase evolved to imply causing something to become active or lively.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Stir Up"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Stir Up"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Stir Up" Synonym Map