Agitation — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˌa-jə-ˈtā-shən/ ag·i·ta·tion

Meaning & Definition of Agitation

Agitation (noun)

  1. the act or an instance of agitating something, a moving back and forth or with an irregular, rapid, or violent action
  2. a state or feeling of being agitated and restless, a state of excessive psychomotor activity accompanied by increased tension and irritability
  3. a persistent and sustained attempt to arouse public feeling or influence public opinion (as by appeals, discussions, or demonstrations)

Agitation (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a state of wildly excited activity or emotion

    "knew immediately, from the horses' agitation, that something terrible was happening"

    similar: deliriousness, delirium, distraction, fever, feverishness, flap, frenzy, furor, furore, fury, hysteria, rage, rampage, uproar
    related: chaos, confusion, disorder, havoc, pandemonium, turmoil, bedlam, bother, brouhaha, bustle, clamor, clatter, commotion, disturbance, fuss, hoo-ha, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly-burly, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, squall, stew, stir, storm, tempest, to-do, tumult
    near: calm, calmness, peace, peacefulness, placidity, quiet, quietude, repose, restfulness, sereneness, serenity, still, stillness, tranquility, tranquilness

  2. an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble

    "experienced a great deal of agitation over whether she had an appropriate dress for her husband's inauguration"

    similar: agita, anxiety, anxiousness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, care, concern, concernment, disquiet, disquietude, fear, nervosity, nervousness, perturbation, solicitude, sweat, unease, uneasiness, worry
    related: strain, stress, tension, alarm, anguish, consternation, desperateness, desperation, discomfort, discomposure, dismay, distraction, distress, disturbance, edginess, franticness, hand-wringing, jitters, jumpiness, panic, tremor, angst, fearfulness, torment, upset, vexation, cold feet, doubt, dread, foreboding, incertitude, misgiving, presentiment, suspense, uncertainty, compunction, qualm, scruple
    opposite: unconcern
    near: calm, calmness, content, contentment, ease, easiness, peace, peacefulness, placidity, placidness, quiet, quietude, sereneness, serenity, tranquility, tranquilness, comfort, consolation, relief, solace

Related Entry: Agitate (verb)

Agitate is a different word from Agitation. The synonyms below are for agitate, not for agitation.

  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

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Agitation

The most common words with a similar meaning to Agitation:

deliriousness, delirium, distraction, fever, feverishness, flap, frenzy, furor, furore, fury, hysteria, rage, rampage, uproar, agita, anxiety, anxiousness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, care, concern, concernment, disquiet, disquietude, fear, nervosity, nervousness, perturbation, solicitude, sweat, unease, uneasiness, worry

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Agitation

Words with the opposite meaning of Agitation:

unconcern

Related Words for Agitation

chaos, confusion, disorder, havoc, pandemonium, turmoil, bedlam, bother, brouhaha, bustle, clamor, clatter, commotion, disturbance, fuss, hoo-ha, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly-burly, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, squall, stew, stir, storm, tempest, to-do, tumult

Near Antonyms of Agitation

calm, calmness, peace, peacefulness, placidity, quiet, quietude, repose, restfulness, sereneness, serenity, still, stillness, tranquility, tranquilness, content, contentment, ease, easiness, placidness, comfort, consolation, relief, solace

Word Forms of Agitation

Inflections: agitations

Derived words: agitational (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Agitation

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin agitātiōn-, agitātiō "violent moving or movement," from agitāre "to set in motion, agitate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First known use: 1547

Frequently Asked Questions about Agitation

What does "Agitation" mean?

"Agitation" means the act or an instance of agitating something, a moving back and forth or with an irregular, rapid, or violent action. As a noun, it is defined as: the act or an instance of agitating something, a moving back and forth or with an irregular, rapid, or violent action. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Agitation"?

Other words for "Agitation" include deliriousness, delirium, distraction, fever, feverishness, flap, frenzy and furor. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Agitation" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Agitation"?

There are 99 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Agitation". Common alternatives include deliriousness, delirium, distraction, fever, feverishness, flap, frenzy, furor, furore and fury.

What is the opposite of "Agitation"?

Antonyms of "Agitation" include unconcern. Near antonyms include calm, calmness, peace and peacefulness.

How do you use "Agitation" in a sentence?

Examples of "Agitation" in a sentence: "knew immediately, from the horses' agitation, that something terrible was happening"; "experienced a great deal of agitation over whether she had an appropriate dress for her husband's inauguration".

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

"Agitation" is a noun.

How do you pronounce "Agitation"?

"Agitation" is pronounced /ˌa-jə-ˈtā-shən/ and divided into syllables as ag·i·ta·tion.

What is the origin of the word "Agitation"?

"Agitation" comes from borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin agitātiōn-, agitātiō "violent moving or movement," from agitāre "to set in motion, agitate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action. First known use: 1547.