Meanings
nounagitation (countable and uncountable, plural agitations)
plural agitations
- countableuncountableA disturbance of personal tranquillity; disturbance of someone's peace of mind; an emotion combining irritation, restlessness and aggravation; a feeling of being riled up or bothered to the point of experiencing distress and tension.
She causes great agitation within me.
Synonyms: perturbation, lather
- countableuncountableExcitement of public feeling by discussion, appeals, etc.
labor agitation
3 more examples
the antislavery agitation
After this conflict pro-independence agitation temporarily died down.
[…] religious agitations […]
1855–1858, William H[ickling] Prescott, History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain, volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson, and Company, →OCLC - archaiccountableuncountableExamination or consideration of a subject in controversy, or of a plan proposed for adoption; earnest discussion; debate.
[…] the project now in agitation […]
1732, Jonathan Swift, The Advantages Proposed by Repealing the Sacramental Test1 more example
[…] a logical agitation of the matter […]
1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC - countableuncountablePutting into motion by shaking or stirring, often to achieve mixing.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA disturbance of personal tranquillity; disturbance of someone's peace of mind; an emotion combining irritation, restlessness and aggravation; a feeling of being riled up or bothered to the point of experiencing distress and tension.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nouna state of agitation or turbulent change or development
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinagitātiō“movement, agitation”
- Frenchagitation
- Englishagitation
From French agitation, from Latin agitātiō (“movement, agitation”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian вълнение, възбуда
- вълнение (vălnenie)act of agitating
- възбуда (văzbuda)act of agitating
- бъркане (bărkane)act of agitating
- агитация (agitacija)act of agitating
Chinese Cantonese 煽動 /煽动, 鼓動 /鼓动
- 煽動 /煽动 (sin³ dong⁶)excitement of public feeling
- 鼓動 /鼓动 (gu² dong⁶)excitement of public feeling
- 攪動 /搅动 (gaau² dong⁶)a stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
- 搖動 /摇动 (jiu⁴ dong⁶)a stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
Czech agitace
- agitaceexcitement of public feeling
Dutch opwinding, agitatie
- opwindingact of agitating
- agitatieact of agitating
- troebelenact of agitating
Esperanto agitado, agitiĝo
- agitadoact of agitating
- agitiĝoact of agitating
- agitiĝoa stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
Finnish agitaatio
- agitaatioact of agitating
French agitation
- agitationact of agitating
German Aufwühlung, Agitation
- Aufwühlungact of agitating
- Agitationact of agitating
Greek αναστάτωση, αναταραχή
- αναστάτωση (anastátosi)act of agitating
- αναταραχή (anatarachí)act of agitating
- αναβρασμός (anavrasmós)act of agitating
Hebrew תסיסה, תסיסה
- תסיסה (tsisá)act of agitating
- תסיסה (tsisá)a stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
Hindi आकुलता, व्यग्रता
- आकुलता (ākultā)act of agitating
- व्यग्रता (vyagratā)act of agitating
Indonesian agitasi
- agitasiact of agitating
Irish suaitheadh, suaitheadh
- suaitheadhact of agitating
- suaitheadhexcitement of public feeling
- suaitheadha stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
Latin vibrātiō, trepidatio
- vibrātiōact of agitating
- trepidatioa stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
Norwegian sinnsbevegelse, uro
- sinnsbevegelse, uroa stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
Polish agitacja
- agitacjaexcitement of public feeling
Portuguese agitação, agitação
- agitaçãoact of agitating
- agitaçãoa stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
Romanian agitare, agitație
- agitareact of agitating
- agitațieact of agitating
Russian волне́ние, возбужде́ние
- волне́ние (volnénije)act of agitating
- возбужде́ние (vozbuždénije)act of agitating
- смяте́ние (smjaténije)act of agitating
- агита́ция (agitácija)excitement of public feeling
- волне́ние (volnénije)a stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
- возбужде́ние (vozbuždénije)a stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
- смяте́ние (smjaténije)a stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
- беспоко́йство (bespokójstvo)a stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
Scottish Gaelic tuairgneadh, maistreadh
- tuairgneadhact of agitating
- maistreadhact of agitating
- strìexcitement of public feeling
- iomairtexcitement of public feeling
- mì-shuaimhneasexcitement of public feeling
- mì-shuaimhneasa stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
- docaira stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
- gailca stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
- troimh-a-chèilea stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
Spanish agitación, desasosiego
- agitaciónact of agitating
- desasosiegoact of agitating
- inquietuda stirring; a disturbance of tranquility
Swedish uppvigling, hets
- uppviglingact of agitating
- hetsact of agitating
Thai การปลุกปั่น
- การปลุกปั่นexcitement of public feeling
Turkish ajitasyon
- ajitasyonact of agitating
Ukrainian агіта́ція
- агіта́ція (ahitácija)excitement of public feeling
Yiddish אַגיטאַציע
- אַגיטאַציע (agitatsye)excitement of public feeling
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with agitation
informationeducationlocationapplicationassociationadministrationorganizationcorporationregistrationAsianfoundationcommunicationpopulationnavigationstationaccommodationoperationpublicationvacationtransportationevaluationimplementationinstallationnation
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
agitation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agitation
MLA
“agitation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agitation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “agitation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agitation.
Source: agitation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.