astir
/əˈstɜː/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.60 in modern English
5
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
In motion; characterized by motion.
adj
Out of bed; up and about.
Example Sentences
- "Her book has perhaps been a good one; it has refreshed, refilled, rewarmed her heart; it has set her brain astir, furnished her mind with pictures."
- "For in quick spring the sap is all astir."
- "Wilson, who was acting as cook, was up and astir at his duties in the cook-house."
- "Soon, the whole town would be astir with the cracking of whips, the beating of gongs, cryings to prayer, lashing of mules, and rattle of brass-bound wheels,"
- "Outside, the evening woods stood in quietude and the vast patches like maps of color were captured motionless, no leaf astir, in the light of the setting sun."
- "I had but a broken sleep the night before, in anticipation of the pleasure of a whole day with Em’ly. We were all astir betimes in the morning;"
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Hellenic *ə- Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-)der. English a- Proto-Indo-European *(s)twerH- Proto-Indo-European *(s)twr̥H-yé-ti? Proto-Germanic *sturjaną Proto-West Germanic *sturjan Old English styrian Middle English stiren English stir English astir From a- + stir.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /əˈstɜː/
- British English: /əˈstɜː/
Inflected Forms
more astir (comparative)
most astir (superlative)