Meanings
present singular third person agitates · participle present agitating · participle past agitated · past agitated
- transitiveTo cause to move with a violent, irregular action; to shake.First known use 16th c.
The wind agitates the sea.
2 more examples
to agitate water in a vessel
It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents — except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.
1830, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Paul Clifford - To participate in political agitation (sense 3).
NAMBLA is working to build a coalition of gay, lesbian, progressive and civil liberties groups to agitate against the increasing state attacks on gay men who associate with boys.
1981 August 1, Mitzel, “NAMBLA Says National Crackdown Starting”, in Gay Community News, page 3 - archaictransitiveTo mull over, or think deeply about; to consider, to devise.First known use 17th c.
Politicians agitate desperate designs.
Synonyms: revolve, ruminate, afterthink, bethink, call to mind, chew, chew over, chew the cud
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo disturb or excite; to perturb or stir up (a person).
verbTo mull over, or think deeply about; to consider, to devise.
More synonyms by meaning
verbcause to be agitated, excited, or roused
verbexert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for
verbchange the arrangement or position of
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinagitātus
- Middle Englishagitat(e)“set in motion”
- Englishagitate
From Middle English agitat(e) (“set in motion”), borrowed from Latin agitātus, perfect passive participle of agitō (“to put in motion”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), frequentative of agō (“to drive, move, push”), see -tō. Cognate with French agiter. See also act and agent.
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ταράσσω, ἀνασείω
- ταράσσω (tarássō)to stir up, to disturb or excite
- ἀνασείω (anaseíō)to stir up, to disturb or excite
Bulgarian раздвижвам, вълнувам
- раздвижвам (razdvižvam)to move or actuate
- вълнувам (vălnuvam)to stir up, to disturb or excite
- възбуждам (văzbuždam)to stir up, to disturb or excite
- разбърквам (razbărkvam)to move with a violent, irregular action
Czech protřepat, promíchat
- protřepatto move with a violent, irregular action
- promíchatto move with a violent, irregular action
Esperanto inciti
- incitito move with a violent, irregular action
Finnish hämmentää, ravistella
- hämmentääto move or actuate
- ravistellato stir up, to disturb or excite
- hämmentääto move with a violent, irregular action
German aufwiegeln, aufregen
- aufwiegelnto stir up, to disturb or excite
- aufregento stir up, to disturb or excite
- aufrührento stir up, to disturb or excite
- erregento stir up, to disturb or excite
- durcheinander bringento stir up, to disturb or excite
- aus der Fassung bringento stir up, to disturb or excite
- aufwühlento move with a violent, irregular action
- aufrührento move with a violent, irregular action
- rührento move with a violent, irregular action
- schüttelnto move with a violent, irregular action
- umrührento move with a violent, irregular action
- durchrührento move with a violent, irregular action
Italian agitare, turbare
- agitareto stir up, to disturb or excite
- turbareto stir up, to disturb or excite
- agitareto move with a violent, irregular action
- scuotereto move with a violent, irregular action
- sbattereto move with a violent, irregular action
Japanese 煽る, 扇動する
- 煽る (aoru)to stir up, to disturb or excite
- 扇動する (sendō suru)to stir up, to disturb or excite
- 掻き乱す (kakimidasu)to move with a violent, irregular action
Latin turbō
- turbōto stir up, to disturb or excite
Māori whakaoioi, oi
- whakaoioito stir up, to disturb or excite
- oito stir up, to disturb or excite
- orito move with a violent, irregular action
Persian آشفتن, پریشان کردن
- آشفتنto stir up, to disturb or excite
- پریشان کردنto stir up, to disturb or excite
Polish agitować
- agitowaćto move or actuate
Portuguese agitar, agitar
- agitarto move or actuate
- agitarto stir up, to disturb or excite
- agitarto move with a violent, irregular action
Romanian agita, agita
- agitato move or actuate
- agitato stir up, to disturb or excite
- agitato move with a violent, irregular action
Spanish alborotar, agitar
- alborotarto stir up, to disturb or excite
- agitarto move with a violent, irregular action
Swedish röra om, uppröra
- röra omto move or actuate
- upprörato stir up, to disturb or excite
- röra omto move with a violent, irregular action
Turkish sarsmak, sarsmak
- sarsmakto move or actuate
- sarsmakto stir up, to disturb or excite
- sarsmakto move with a violent, irregular action
Cite this entry
agitate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agitate
“agitate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agitate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “agitate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agitate.
Source: agitate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.