stirring 1 of 3

adjective

ˈstər-iŋ How to pronounce stirring (audio)
Definition of stirringnext
1
as in breathtaking
causing great emotional or mental stimulation the message of brotherhood in Martin Luther King's stirring "I Have a Dream" speech still resonates today

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in emotional
having the power to affect the feelings or sympathies a stirring rendition of the national anthem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in buzzing
marked by much life, movement, or activity spring has arrived, and the meadow is stirring with life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stirring

2 of 3

noun

as in shifting
the act or an instance of changing position I thought I detected a slight stirring of the leaves, and yet there wasn't a breath of wind

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stirring

3 of 3

verb

present participle of stir
1
as in swirling
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in moving
to change one's position the cat stirred, then opened its eyes and slowly got to its feet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in provoking
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stirring
Adjective
While certain songs successfully couple lyrical and musical prowess to arrive at a stirring destination, not every track is quite as ambitious. — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026 While Mexico has never won a World Cup, Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca has been the site of some of Argentina’s greatest soccer triumphs, notably its championship in the stirring 1986 World Cup. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Noun
Add the eggs and let cook for 1 minute, without stirring, until the bottom starts to set. — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026 Add remaining 2 large onions, thinly sliced, and remaining 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. — Catherine Yoo, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
Spread into an even layer and roast for 30–40 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and the tofu is lightly browned and crisp around the edges. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 In Namibia’s remote, soul-stirring wilderness—one of the least inhabited places on earth—French hotelier Arnaud Zannier has created a new breed of hotel. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stirring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stirring
  1. breathtaking
  2. emotional
  3. buzzing
  4. shifting
  5. swirling
  6. moving
  7. provoking
  8. exciting
Adjective
  • Desperate for a rebound after his worst finish of the Chase, the defending series champion expanded his points lead by a wide margin with a breathtaking rally from 11th to first on the final lap.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Words fail, however, when attempting to describe the breathtaking view.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of breathtaking
Adjective
  • The history between these men is more noxious than your garden-variety case of paternal neglect — there’s been emotional and physical abuse.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
  • That’s not because Crystal soft-pedals the emotional horror of returning to your home to find charred remains after watching, helpless, as flames took the locus of all your best memories.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of emotional
Adjective
  • All the joy and buzzing activity arose from humble beginnings.
    — Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Still, a supportive connection between the moon, Neptune and Pluto retrograde adds a deeper undercurrent to all the buzzing and socializing.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of buzzing
Noun
  • Heated grips come as standard, while a reversible gearshift mechanism allows riders to switch to a race-style reverse shifting pattern for circuit use.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Masterplan, though, will be exclusive to streaming—but Tucci seems comfortable shifting platforms when required.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of shifting
Verb
  • A lot is swirling leaguewide, and Brad Biggs answers your Bears questions weekly.
    — Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Rumors are also swirling around about the later iPhones’ Dynamic Island camera housing coming to these MacBook Pro models.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of swirling
Verb
  • The Sun enters your 6th House, beginning a month focused on routines, responsibilities, health, work, and the systems that keep everything moving.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Position for the companies that are moving from cost cutting into building.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of moving
Verb
  • In 2012 American entrepreneur Russ George spread roughly 100 tons of iron in the North Pacific, provoking international criticism that a commercial venture had begun geoengineering without adequate oversight.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The same principle applies to debates about religion, economics and virtually any subject capable of provoking strong emotions.
    — Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of provoking
Adjective
  • Perhaps less exciting is the fact her failures are more than just the flawed Edison machine.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The radio series takes in interviews with academic hormone specialists, including the team at Imperial College in London who are conducting some of the most exciting and innovative research in this area.
    — Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of exciting

Browse Nearby Words

stirred (up)
stirring
stirrings
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stirring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stirring. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All