Library / English Dictionary

AGITATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Change the arrangement or position of

Synonyms:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

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"):

beat; scramble (stir vigorously)

toss (agitate)

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

poke (stir by poking)

Sentence frames:

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause to be agitated, excited, or roused

Example:

The speaker charged up the crowd with his inflammatory remarks

Synonyms:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

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:

Move or cause to move back and forth

Example:

My hands were shaking

Synonyms:

agitate; shake

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

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"):

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)

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

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 4

Meaning:

Move very slightly

Example:

He shifted in his seat

Synonyms:

agitate; budge; shift; stir

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

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:

Try to stir up public opinion

Synonyms:

agitate; foment; stir up

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

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 6

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

Example:

The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate

Synonyms:

agitate; campaign; crusade; fight; press; push

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

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

Credits

 Context examples: 

The person may become withdrawn, agitated, and depressed.

(Elder Abuse, NIH: National Institute on Aging)

Mixing by adding solids to agitated liquids.

(Dissolution Mixing, NCI Thesaurus)

They may become agitated or see things that are not there.

(Dementia, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Does the patient have any other aggressive or agitated behaviors?

(NPI - Any Other Aggressive or Agitated Behaviors, NCI Thesaurus)

Even I, depressed in mind, and my spirits continually agitated by gloomy feelings, even I was pleased.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The scared look faded from her eyes, and her agitated features smoothed into their usual commonplace.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The person may also be agitated and have hallucinations, and extreme excitement.

(Delirium, NCI Dictionary)

Keep calm, and if your partner becomes agitated, the less you say, the better.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Amid a rolling cloud of dust, I caught a glimpse of a pale, agitated face—a face with horror in every lineament, the mouth open, the eyes staring wildly in front.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The window was open, and she distinctly saw his face, which she describes as being terribly agitated.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)