Agitating — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective /ˈa-jə-ˌtāt/ ag·i·tate

Meaning & Definition of Agitating

Agitating (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

Agitating (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings

    "no more agitating waits to find out sports scores—get them instantly online!"

    similar: anxious, creepy, disquieting, distressful, distressing, disturbing, fraught, hairy, nail-biting, nerve-racking, nervous, restless, tense, uneasy, unnerving, unsettling, worrisome
    related: bothersome, troublesome, foreboding, misgiving, discouraging, disheartening, strained, restive, unrestful, awkward, embarrassing
    opposite: calming, comfortable, easy, peaceful, quiet, quieting, tranquil
    near: restful, pacific

Agitating (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: churning, stirring, swirling, washing, whirling
    related: beating, paddling, whipping, whisking, reeling, shaking, wheeling

  2. to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

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

    similar: ailing, alarming, bothering, concerning, derailing, discomforting, discomposing, dismaying, disquieting, distempering, distracting, distressing, disturbing, exercising, flurrying, frazzling, freaking (out), fussing, hagriding, perturbing, undoing, unhinging, unsettling, upsetting, weirding out, worrying
    related: aggravating, angering, annoying, bugging, chafing, chivying, exasperating, fretting, galling, getting, grating, harassing, harrying, irking, irritating, nettling, peeving, pestering, piquing, putting off, putting out, riling, vexing, bedeviling, haunting, plaguing, abashing, confounding, confusing, discomfiting, disconcerting, discountenancing, embarrassing, fazing, flustering, jarring, mortifying, nonplussing, rattling, shaking up, daunting, demoralizing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, unnerving
    opposite: calming, composing, quieting, settling, soothing, tranquilizing
    near: allaying, alleviating, assuaging, appeasing, conciliating, mollifying, pacifying, placating, propitiating

  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: bucketing, convulsing, jerking, jiggling, joggling, jolting, jouncing, juddering (chiefly British), quaking, quivering, shaking, shuddering, vibrating, wobbling
    related: rocking, swaying, swinging, chattering, quavering, shivering, thrilling, trembling, twitching, doddering, wavering, flickering, fluctuating, fluttering, oscillating, undulating, waving, beating, palpitating, pit-a-patting, pitter-pattering, pulsating, pulsing, throbbing

  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: arguing, bandying, batting (around or back and forth), canvassing, debating, discussing, disputing, hashing (over or out), mooting, talking over
    related: reviewing, speaking (about), talking (about), broaching, introducing, propounding, raising, stirring up, forging, hammering out, talking out, thrashing (out), wrestling (with), chewing over, considering, deliberating, weighing

Related Entry: Agitate (verb)

Agitate is a different word from Agitating. The synonyms below are for agitate, not for agitating.

  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: Agitating (for) (verb)

Agitating (for) is a different word from Agitating. The synonyms below are for agitating (for), not for agitating.

  1. as in working (for), campaigning (for)

    similar: campaigning (for), working (for), advertising, boosting, plugging, publicizing, touting, abetting, aiding, assisting, endowing, financing, funding, patronizing, staking, subsidizing, underwriting, advocating, backing, championing, endorsing, supporting, upholding, advancing, cultivating, encouraging, forwarding, fostering, furthering, incubating, nourishing, nursing, nurturing, promoting
    opposite: discouraging, frustrating, hindering, inhibiting, banning, barring, enjoining, forbidding, interdicting, outlawing, preventing, prohibiting, proscribing, battling, combating, contending (with), countering, fighting, opposing, repressing, snuffing (out), squashing, squelching, stifling, subduing, suppressing, arresting, checking, halting, retarding, encumbering, fettering, hobbling, impeding, interfering (with), manacling, obstructing, shackling

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Agitating

The most common words with a similar meaning to Agitating:

Chiefly British: juddering
anxious, creepy, disquieting, distressful, distressing, disturbing, fraught, hairy, nail-biting, nerve-racking, nervous, restless, tense, uneasy, unnerving, unsettling, worrisome, churning, stirring, swirling, washing, whirling, ailing, alarming, bothering, concerning, derailing, discomforting, discomposing, dismaying, distempering, distracting, exercising, flurrying, frazzling, freaking (out), fussing, hagriding, perturbing, undoing

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Agitating

Words with the opposite meaning of Agitating:

calming, comfortable, easy, peaceful, quiet, quieting, tranquil, composing, settling, soothing, tranquilizing

Related Words for Agitating

bothersome, troublesome, foreboding, misgiving, discouraging, disheartening, strained, restive, unrestful, awkward, embarrassing, beating, paddling, whipping, whisking, reeling, wheeling, aggravating, angering, annoying, bugging, chafing, chivying, exasperating, fretting, galling, getting, grating, harassing, harrying

Near Antonyms of Agitating

restful, pacific, allaying, alleviating, assuaging, appeasing, conciliating, mollifying, pacifying, placating, propitiating

Word Forms of Agitating

Inflections: agitated

Origin & Etymology of Agitating

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

Frequently Asked Questions about Agitating

What does "Agitating" mean?

"Agitating" means to excite and often trouble the mind or feelings of, disturb. As an a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: to excite and often trouble the mind or feelings of, disturb. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Agitating"?

Other words for "Agitating" include anxious, creepy, disquieting, distressful, distressing, disturbing, fraught and hairy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Agitating" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Agitating"?

There are 167 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Agitating". Common alternatives include anxious, creepy, disquieting, distressful, distressing, disturbing, fraught, hairy, nail-biting and nerve-racking.

What is the opposite of "Agitating"?

Antonyms of "Agitating" include calming, comfortable, easy, peaceful, quiet, quieting, tranquil and composing. Near antonyms include restful, pacific, allaying and alleviating.

How do you use "Agitating" in a sentence?

Examples of "Agitating" in a sentence: "no more agitating waits to find out sports scores—get them instantly online!"; "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".

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

"Agitating" can be used as a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Agitating"?

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

What is the origin of the word "Agitating"?

"Agitating" comes from 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.