bestir
/bɪˈstɝ/verb
bestir is spelled B-E-S-T-I-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 48 million words in written English, the 214,628th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, bestir means “To put into brisk or vigorous action; to move with life and vigor” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in bestir?
| Letters | 6: B-E-S-T-I-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 48 million words; the 214,628th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is bestir?
Bestir appears about once in every 48 million words in written English, the 214,628th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce bestir?
- UK /bɪˈstɜː/
- US /bɪˈstɝ/
- US /biˈstɝ/
Bestir has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-bestir.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with bestir?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as bestir from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: bistre.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of bestir
- bestirs present, singular, he/she/it
- bestirring participle, present
- bestirred participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bestir mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To put into brisk or vigorous action; to move with life and vigor.
- 2
To make active; to rouse oneself.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bestir in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does bestir come from?
From Middle English bestyrien, bestirien, from Old English bestyrian (“to heap up, pile up”), equivalent to be- + stir.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).