Agitate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ˈa-jə-ˌtāt/ ag·i·tate

Meaning & Definition of Agitate

Agitate (verb)

  1. to excite and often trouble the mind or feelings of, disturb
  2. to discuss excitedly and earnestly
  3. to stir up public discussion of

Agitate (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly

    "this room could use a ceiling fan to agitate the stuffy air a bit"

    similar: churn, stir, swirl, wash, whirl
    related: beat, paddle, whip, whisk, reel, shake, wheel

  2. to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

    "there's no need to agitate the patient about little things"

    similar: ail, alarm, bother, concern, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distemper, distract, distress, disturb, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), fuss, hagride, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out, worry
    related: aggravate, anger, annoy, bug, chafe, chivy, exasperate, fret, gall, get, grate, harass, harry, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put off, put out, rile, vex, bedevil, haunt, plague, abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, jar, mortify, nonplus, rattle, shake up, daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, unnerve
    opposite: calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize
    near: allay, alleviate, assuage, appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate

  3. to make a series of small irregular or violent movements

    "set the washing machine so it will agitate for four minutes before going into the rinse cycle"

    similar: bucket, convulse, jerk, jiggle, joggle, jolt, jounce, judder (chiefly British), quake, quiver, shake, shudder, vibrate, wobble
    related: rock, sway, swing, chatter, quaver, shiver, thrill, tremble, twitch, dodder, waver, flicker, fluctuate, flutter, oscillate, undulate, wave, beat, palpitate, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, pulsate, pulse, throb

  4. to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion

    "a question which has been agitated by the legislature time and time again"

    similar: argue, bandy, bat (around or back and forth), canvass, debate, discuss, dispute, hash (over or out), moot, talk over
    related: review, speak (about), talk (about), broach, introduce, propound, raise, stir up, forge, hammer out, talk out, thrash (out), wrestle (with), chew over, consider, deliberate, weigh

Related Entry: Agitate (for) (verb)

Agitate (for) is a different word from Agitate. The synonyms below are for agitate (for), not for agitate.

  1. as in work (for), campaign (for)

    similar: campaign (for), work (for), advertise, boost, plug, publicize, tout, abet, aid, assist, endow, finance, fund, patronize, stake, subsidize, underwrite, advocate, back, champion, endorse, support, uphold, advance, cultivate, encourage, forward, foster, further, incubate, nourish, nurse, nurture, promote
    opposite: discourage, frustrate, hinder, inhibit, ban, bar, enjoin, forbid, interdict, outlaw, prevent, prohibit, proscribe, battle, combat, contend (with), counter, fight, oppose, repress, snuff (out), squash, squelch, stifle, subdue, suppress, arrest, check, halt, retard, encumber, fetter, hobble, impede, interfere (with), manacle, obstruct, shackle

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Agitate

The most common words with a similar meaning to Agitate:

Chiefly British: judder
churn, stir, swirl, wash, whirl, ail, alarm, bother, concern, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distemper, distract, distress, disturb, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), fuss, hagride, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out, worry, bucket, convulse, jerk, jiggle, joggle, jolt, jounce, quake, quiver

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Agitate

Words with the opposite meaning of Agitate:

calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize

Related Words for Agitate

beat, paddle, whip, whisk, reel, wheel, aggravate, anger, annoy, bug, chafe, chivy, exasperate, fret, gall, get, grate, harass, harry, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put off, put out, rile, vex, bedevil

Near Antonyms of Agitate

allay, alleviate, assuage, appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate

Word Forms of Agitate

Inflections: agitated, agitating

Origin & Etymology of Agitate

Middle English agitat "set in motion," borrowed from Latin agitātus, past participle of agitāre "to set in motion, drive before one, arouse, disturb, deal with, turn over in the mind," frequentative of agere "to drive, be in motion, do, perform" agent

First known use: 15th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Agitate

Frequently Asked Questions about Agitate

What does "Agitate" mean?

"Agitate" means to excite and often trouble the mind or feelings of, disturb. As a verb, it is defined as: to excite and often trouble the mind or feelings of, disturb. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Agitate"?

Other words for "Agitate" include churn, stir, swirl, wash, whirl, ail, alarm and bother. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Agitate" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Agitate"?

There are 147 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Agitate". Common alternatives include churn, stir, swirl, wash, whirl, ail, alarm, bother, concern and derail.

What is the opposite of "Agitate"?

Antonyms of "Agitate" include calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe and tranquilize. Near antonyms include allay, alleviate, assuage and appease.

How do you use "Agitate" in a sentence?

Examples of "Agitate" in a sentence: "this room could use a ceiling fan to agitate the stuffy air a bit"; "there's no need to agitate the patient about little things"; "set the washing machine so it will agitate for four minutes before going into the rinse cycle".

Is "Agitate" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Agitate" is a verb.

Is "Agitate" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Agitate" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Agitate"?

"Agitate" is pronounced /ˈa-jə-ˌtāt/ and divided into syllables as ag·i·tate.