German Conversation · Level 99
58 words
German word
schüren
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈʃyːʁən/
Meaning
- verbfuel
Example
Sein Kommentar schürt große Zweifel.
His comment fuels serious doubts.
More examples
Die Rede des Politikers schürte Angst in der Bevölkerung.
The politician's speech stoked fear among the population.
Core concept
An ember is stirred until a small flame grows, a pattern that also fits doubt or fear.
Common phrases
schüren Angst
stoke fear
schüren Hass
stoke hatred
schüren Misstrauen
stoke distrust
Similar words
anfachen: To spark an emotion and increase its intensity.
anheizen: To make a debate or feeling more heated and active.
nähren: To keep anxiety or suspicion alive and strengthen it over time.
aufbauschen: To exaggerate a matter so that it appears more important than it is.
Definition in German
Durch Worte oder Handlungen gezielt Misstrauen, Angst oder Zweifel verstärken oder verbreiten.
Word origin
Schüren developed in German from an older fire-related verb meaning to stir or tend a fire, then extended to intensifying fears, doubts, and tensions.
Usage tips
- Schüren is transitive and normally takes an accusative object, as in Zweifel schüren; it is not a separable-prefix verb.