stir

/stɜː(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /stɜːr/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstər/ (ame, mw) · /stɜːr/ (bre, ipa) · /stɝː/ (ame, ipa)

stir — 動詞

  • stirpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • stirshe / she / it
  • stirredpast simple
  • stirring-ing form

1. to rotate a spoon or similar tool through a liquid or soft substance so that all

1.動詞及物A2
釋義

攪拌

用湯匙等工具在液體中畫圈混合

to rotate a spoon or similar tool through a liquid or soft substance so that all the separate parts become evenly spread throughout

例句

Beatriz stirred the soup with a wooden spoon until the vegetables were evenly mixed.

Beatriz 用木湯匙攪拌湯品，直到蔬菜均勻分佈。

stir + object + with + tool

Feng slowly added milk to his coffee while stirring gently.

Feng 一邊輕輕攪拌，一邊慢慢把牛奶加入咖啡裡。

同義詞
  • mix

    broader — mix can involve shaking, folding, or blending without the circular tool motion implied by stir

  • whisk

    faster, more vigorous action using a whisk tool, often to incorporate air

文法句型

stir + object + with + tool

stir + object + into + mixture

常見錯誤

❌I stirred the soup hardly.
✅I stirred the soup vigorously / well.
💡'hardly' means 'almost not'; use 'hard' or 'well' instead.

2. to shift only a tiny amount while staying in one place, or to make another thing

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

微動；挪動

稍微移動但不改變位置

to shift only a tiny amount while staying in one place, or to make another thing shift just a bit

例句

The baby stirred in her sleep but stayed fast asleep.

嬰兒在睡夢中微微動了一下，但沒有醒來。

stir in sleep — slight movement without waking

A light breeze stirred the curtains by the open window.

一陣微風吹動了敞開窗戶旁的窗簾。

同義詞
  • move

    more general; stir implies a very slight, often involuntary movement

  • shift

    implies a change of position rather than just a slight movement in place

反義詞
  • freeze

    to stay completely still, the opposite of any movement

文法句型

stir (intransitive) — subject moves slightly

stir + object — subject causes object to move slightly

用法筆記

Commonly used in negative constructions ('not stir' or 'barely stir') to emphasize that someone or something remained very still. Can also be used of inanimate objects moved by air or water.

常見錯誤

❌I stirred my hand.
✅I moved my hand slightly.
💡'stir' is used for whole-body movement or atmospheric movement, not for moving a single limb like an arm or hand.

3. to cause someone to feel a powerful emotion such as excitement, anger, sadness,

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

激起；喚起

使人產生強烈的情感反應

to cause someone to feel a powerful emotion such as excitement, anger, sadness, or admiration, often in response to something they see, hear, or experience

例句

The old photograph stirred memories of summers spent at her grandmother's house.

那張舊照片喚起了她在祖母家度過夏日的回憶。

stir memories of [something]

The speaker's words stirred deep anger in the crowd gathered outside the town hall.

演講者的話語在市政廳外聚集的人群中激起強烈的憤怒。

stir [emotion] in [person/group]

同義詞
  • arouse

    more formal; often used for sexual or strong emotional awakening

  • evoke

    less intense; focuses on bringing forth memories or feelings rather than strong emotion

  • provoke

    often negative; implies causing anger or annoyance deliberately

反義詞
  • calm

    to reduce emotional intensity, opposite of stirring feelings

文法句型

stir + object (person) — cause strong emotion

stir + emotion + in + person

用法筆記

Commonly used in the passive voice ('be stirred by') or with the emotion as the direct object ('stir anger', 'stir excitement'). The pattern 'stir + person + to + emotional response' (e.g., 'stir to tears') is a fixed collocation.

常見錯誤

❌The movie stirred me happy.
✅The movie stirred feelings of happiness in me.
💡'stir' takes an emotion or response as object, not a bare adjective.

4. to deliberately create disagreement, arguments, or problems among a group of peo

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

挑撥；煽動

故意在人際間製造糾紛或對立

to deliberately create disagreement, arguments, or problems among a group of people, often by saying things that upset or divide them

例句

Caleb stirred trouble among his colleagues by spreading rumors about the new manager.

Caleb 散佈關於新經理的謠言，在同事之間製造事端。

stir trouble among [group]

The politician was accused of stirring racial hatred with his speech.

那位政治人物被指控用演說煽動種族仇恨。

stir [negative emotion: hatred / resentment / anger]

同義詞
  • incite

    more formal and stronger; often used in legal contexts for urging violent action

  • provoke

    can be used with both people and reactions, while 'stir' here focuses on the social result

反義詞
  • quell

    to stop or prevent trouble, the opposite of causing it

文法句型

stir + trouble / conflict / resentment

stir up — phrasal variant with same meaning

用法筆記

Often used with 'up' as a phrasal verb ('stir up trouble'). The object is typically a negative social emotion (trouble, hatred, resentment, conflict, drama). The subject is usually a person or media source acting deliberately.

常見錯誤

❌She stirred happiness among the team.
✅She stirred resentment / conflict among the team.
💡This sense carries a negative meaning; use sense 3 for positive emotions.

5. to start moving after being still or asleep, or to begin doing something after a

5.動詞不及物B2
釋義

起身活動

從靜止或睡眠中開始移動或行動

to start moving after being still or asleep, or to begin doing something after a period of inactivity

例句

Christopher finally stirred at ten o'clock and stumbled into the kitchen.

Christopher 直到十點才終於起身，搖搖晃晃地走進廚房。

stir + time — waking up after sleeping in

The volunteers stirred into action as soon as the news of the flood reached them.

洪水消息一傳來，志工們立刻行動起來。

stir into action — begin to act quickly

同義詞
  • rouse

    more formal; can be transitive ('rouse someone') unlike 'stir' in this sense

  • bestir

    archaic or literary; 'bestir oneself' is the reflexive form of this sense

文法句型

stir (intransitive) — person begins to move or act

stir oneself — reflexive

用法筆記

Often used reflexively ('stir oneself') to indicate making an effort to become active. The phrase 'stir into action' is a common fixed collocation for groups responding to a situation.

常見錯誤

❌I stirred from bed at 7 a.m.
✅I stirred at 7 a.m. and got out of bed.
💡'stir' describes the first movement, not the full action of getting up.

6. if a feeling or emotion slowly begins to develop and become noticeable inside yo

6.動詞不及物C1
釋義

萌生；湧現

情感在心中漸漸產生並增強

if a feeling or emotion slowly begins to develop and become noticeable inside you, growing from a faint beginning into a stronger presence

例句

A strange curiosity stirred within Faisal as he opened the old wooden chest.

Faisal 打開那個舊木箱時，內心湧起了一股奇怪的好奇心。

[emotion] stirs within [person]

Deep inside the young nurse, a quiet sense of purpose began to stir.

在那位年輕護士的內心深處，一種平靜的使命感開始萌生。

同義詞
  • rise

    more general; implies the feeling becomes stronger without the subtle, gradual onset that 'stir' suggests

  • awaken

    suggests the feeling was completely absent before, like waking from sleep

反義詞
  • subside

    when a feeling grows weaker and disappears, the opposite of stirring

文法句型

emotion + stirs (in/within + person) — emotion begins to develop

用法筆記

The preposition 'within' sounds more literary than 'in'. This sense is almost always used with abstract emotion nouns (hope, curiosity, anger, sadness) as the subject, not with people.

常見錯誤

❌Anger stirred him.
✅Anger stirred within him.
💡The emotion is the subject; people are the location of the feeling, not the object being stirred.

stir — 名詞