astir

[ uh-stur ]
See synonyms for astir on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. moving or stirring, especially with much activity or excitement: The field was astir with small animals, birds, and insects.

  2. up and about; out of bed.

Origin of astir

1
before 1000; Middle English, Old English; see a-1, stir1

Words Nearby astir

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use astir in a sentence

  • But more—he realised that the missing part of her was now astir, touched into life by another, and a younger, man.

    The Wave | Algernon Blackwood
  • Everybody was astir early about the Norwood and Drew places in Roselawn that next morning.

  • Something was astir somewhere, and before long the Esperanza's crew knew what was the matter.

    The Chequers | James Runciman
  • When he awoke the smugglers were astir, and the women were bending over the fire, busy in preparing breakfast.

    Digby Heathcote | W.H.G. Kingston
  • Monday morning dawned, and the great prison with its twelve hundred captives was again astir.

British Dictionary definitions for astir

astir

/ (əˈstɜː) /


adjective(postpositive)
  1. awake and out of bed

  2. in motion; on the move

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012