: a beginning of motion or activity : movement
—often used in plural
the first stirrings of revolution
Synonyms
Examples of stirring in a Sentence
Adjective
a stirring rendition of the national anthem
the message of brotherhood in Martin Luther King's stirring “I Have a Dream” speech still resonates today
Noun
I thought I detected a slight stirring of the leaves, and yet there wasn't a breath of wind.
Recent Examples on the Web
George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
The film tells a simple story simply, focusing on the stirring desires of its characters — and their growing understanding that acting on those desires might leave them heartbroken.
3.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
Nate Jones, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2024
Related Video Madelyn Cline Counts ‘Friends’ Characters as Her Style Inspiration
Gascón’s tour de force performance, by turns terrifying, sly, comic, and stirring—with singing and dancing to boot—has been duly embraced by critics.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stirring 
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Adjective
Shocked into taking a political stand, Mann turned a birthday speech in honor of the Nobel Prize–winning author Gerhart Hauptmann into a stirring call for democracy.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
The film tells a simple story simply, focusing on the stirring desires of its characters — and their growing understanding that acting on those desires might leave them heartbroken.
3.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
The first stirrings of a backlash are already here.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2024
Related Video Madelyn Cline Counts ‘Friends’ Characters as Her Style Inspiration
Gascón’s tour de force performance, by turns terrifying, sly, comic, and stirring—with singing and dancing to boot—has been duly embraced by critics.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stirring
Dictionary Entries Near stirring
Cite this Entry
“Stirring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stirring. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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