AGITATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does agitate mean? 

• AGITATE (verb)
  The verb AGITATE has 6 senses:

1. try to stir up public opinion

2. cause to be agitated, excited, or roused

3. exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for

4. move very slightly

5. move or cause to move back and forth

6. change the arrangement or position of

  Familiarity information: AGITATE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• AGITATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they agitate    ... he / she / it agitates   
Past simple: agitated   
Past participle: agitated   
-ing form: agitating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Try to stir up public opinion

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

agitate; foment; stir up

Hypernyms (to "agitate" is one way to...):

provoke; stimulate (provide the needed stimulus for)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "agitate"):

rumpus (cause a disturbance)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

agitator (one who agitates; a political troublemaker)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause to be agitated, excited, or roused

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

agitate; charge; charge up; commove; excite; rouse; turn on

Context example:

The speaker charged up the crowd with his inflammatory remarks

Hypernyms (to "agitate" is one way to...):

disturb; trouble; upset (move deeply)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "agitate"):

hype up; psych up (get excited or stimulated)

bother (make nervous or agitated)

pother (make upset or troubled)

electrify (excite suddenly and intensely)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence examples:

The bad news will agitate him
The good news will agitate her

Antonym:

calm (make calm or still)

Derivation:

agitative (causing or tending to cause anger or resentment)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

agitate; campaign; crusade; fight; press; push

Context example:

The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate

Hypernyms (to "agitate" is one way to...):

advertise; advertize; promote; push (make publicity for; try to sell (a product))

Verb group:

advertise; advertize; promote; push (make publicity for; try to sell (a product))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Move very slightly

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

agitate; budge; shift; stir

Context example:

He shifted in his seat

Hypernyms (to "agitate" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

The crowds agitate in the streets

Sense 5

Meaning:

Move or cause to move back and forth

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

agitate; shake

Context example:

My hands were shaking

Hypernyms (to "agitate" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "agitate"):

tremble (move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways)

jiggle; joggle; wiggle (move to and fro)

convulse; jactitate; slash; thrash; thrash about; thresh; thresh about; toss (move or stir about violently)

rattle (shake and cause to make a rattling noise)

concuss (shake violently)

shake up; succuss (shake; especially (a patient to detect fluids or air in the body))

sparge (agitate by introducing air or compressed gas)

convulse (shake uncontrollably)

palpitate (cause to throb or beat rapidly)

quake; tremor (shake with seismic vibrations)

fan (agitate the air)

fluff up; plump up; shake up (make fuller by shaking)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Change the arrangement or position of

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

agitate; commove; disturb; raise up; shake up; stir up; vex

Hypernyms (to "agitate" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "agitate"):

toss (agitate)

rile; roil (make turbid by stirring up the sediments of)

poke (stir by poking)

beat; scramble (stir vigorously)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

His eyes were closed, but the lids slightly lifted in an effort to look at them as they bent over him, and the tail was perceptibly agitated in a vain effort to wag.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Jo couldn't even lose her heart in a decorous manner, but sternly tried to quench her feelings, and failing to do so, led a somewhat agitated life.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

At all events, my love, said I, Doctor Strong is in an agitated state of mind, and must be answered.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Jane, she said, you are always agitated and pale now.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Mrs Croft left them, and Captain Wentworth, having sealed his letter with great rapidity, was indeed ready, and had even a hurried, agitated air, which shewed impatience to be gone.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

That room, in which her disturbed imagination had tormented her on her first arrival, was again the scene of agitated spirits and unquiet slumbers.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

After a silence of several minutes, he came towards her in an agitated manner, and thus began: In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

No sleep now, so I may as well write. I am too agitated to sleep.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

His lips trembled a little, so that the rough thatch of brown hair which covered them was visibly agitated. His tongue even strayed out to moisten them.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

A process that removes water or volatile solvents from an agitated or tumbling bed of solids by relying on heat transfer from the equipment surface or a hot gas to the solid sample.

(Moving Bed Drying Method, NCI Thesaurus)