to stir trouble
5
5.3
- phrasal verb
- /stɜr ˈtrʌbəl/
- Informal
:
causar problemas
- He tends to stir trouble wherever he goes, creating discord among friends.
- try to stir trouble
- want to stir up trouble
- just stirring up trouble
You know, if they think that they can get the praise by stirring up trouble, they may do that.
- You know, if they think that they can get the praise by stirring up trouble, they may do that.
Examples
-
I've asked you not to stir up trouble!
-
He just likes to stir up trouble.
Blog text (5) -
You like to stir up trouble!
Blog text (26) -
Chicago boy, I said, I'm tired of 'em sending your kind down here to stir up trouble.
Academic text (2017) -
I didn't want to stir up any trouble.
Fiction book (1999) -
Some people come here to stir up trouble and antagonize us.
Blog text (12) -
I'm already planning on stirring up some trouble!
Blog text (26) -
They just want to stir up trouble.
Blog text (22) -
It seems to me you are just looking to stir up trouble and argue.
Blog text (12) -
You've been stirring up trouble.
Synonyms
144
3.6
Annoy someone again and again to make them react
48
4.8
To make people feel strong emotions like anger or fear
36
6.9
To cause something bad to start
21
8.4
To cause people to start trouble or violence
20
5.3
Do or say something that causes trouble and upsets other people
13
7.6
To cause people to argue or become divided on purpose
8
8.0
To cause trouble by saying things to make people argue
8
7.2
To make an argument or feeling worse by encouraging it
8
6.8
Make someone angry or annoyed on purpose by teasing them
7
4.1
To make a place or situation very messy and confused
6
4.0
Make people feel excited or upset and attract attention
1
7.0
To cause many people to show strong public anger or criticism
1
7.4
Make people more angry and cause conflict between groups
1
9.9
To say or do things to make others angry and start fights
1
7.7
To make many people feel angry or shocked about something
To say or do things that cause arguments and make people angry
To cause trouble between people to get attention
To say or do something that causes strong reactions and confusion among people
To cause disagreement between people or groups
To cause a strong public argument that divides people
To cause a lot of trouble and anger among people
To make people argue or fight
Antonyms
How Provoking
- NSFW
72
7.7
48
4.8
- Informal
5
5.3
144
3.6
103
3.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to deliberately cause conflict or disorder' is directly and compositionally derived from 'stir' (to agitate or cause strong feeling) + 'trouble' (conflict/disturbance). This follows a standard verb + object pattern (similar to the common variant 'stir up trouble'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the idiomatic sense.
Etymology
Stir trouble comes from the image of someone using a spoon to stir a pot, mixing everything and making a mess. Because stirring moves and mixes things, to stir trouble means to mix people's feelings and 'cause conflict'.