agitate

• POS: Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: ag=i=tate

CIDE DICTIONARY

agitate, v. t. [L. agitatus, p. p. of agitare to put in motion, fr. agere to move: cf. F. agiter. See Act, Agent.].

•  To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel.  Cowper.  [1913 Webster]
•  To move or actuate.  Thomson.  [1913 Webster]
•  To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb; as, he was greatly agitated.  [1913 Webster]

  "The mind of man is agitated by various passions."  [1913 Webster]
•  To discuss with great earnestness; to debate; as, a controversy hotly agitated.  Boyle.  [1913 Webster]
•  To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to contrive busily; to devise; to plot; as, politicians agitate desperate designs.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To move; shake; excite; rouse; disturb; distract; revolve; discuss; debate; canvass.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

agitate, v.
1 tr. disturb or excite (a person or feelings).
2 intr. (often foll. by for, against) stir up interest or concern, esp. publicly (agitated for tax reform).
3 tr. shake or move, esp. briskly.

Derivative

agitatedly adv.

Etymology

L agitare agitat- frequent. of agere drive

THESAURUS

agitate

actuate, afflict, air, argue, arouse, assail, attack, beat, beat up, blow the coals, bother, bounce, broach, bug, burden, campaign, canvass, churn, churn up, concern, concuss, consider, convulse, debate, disarrange, discept, discombobulate, discomfit, discomfort, discompose, disconcert, dispute, disquiet, distract, distress, disturb, drive, electrify, embroil, exasperate, excite, fan, fan the flame, feed the fire, ferment, fire, flurry, fluster, flutter, foment, frazzle, fret, fuss, give concern, heat, heat up, impassion, impel, incense, incite, inflame, instigate, irritate, jar, joggle, jolt, jounce, load with care, moot, move, nettle, paddle, peeve, perturb, perturbate, pique, press, promote, provoke, psych, push, put to it, put up to, rally, rattle, rile, ripple, rock, roil, roughen, rouse, ruffle, rumple, set on, shake, shake up, shock, sic on, spook, stagger, stir, stir the embers, stir up, swirl, thrash out, throw, throw into confusion, tickle, trouble, unhinge, unnerve, unsettle, untune, upset, ventilate, whet, whip, whip up, whisk, work up

ROGET THESAURUS

agitate

Activity

VB be active, busy oneself in, stir, stir about, stir one's stumps, bestir oneself, rouse oneself, speed, hasten, peg away, lay about one, bustle, fuss, raise up, kick up a dust, push, make a push, make a fuss, make a stir, go ahead, push forward, fight one's way, elbow one's way, make progress, toll, plod, persist, keep up the ball, keep the pot boiling, look sharp, have all one's eyes about one, rise, arouse oneself, hustle, get up early, be about, keep moving, steal a march, kill two birds with one stone, seize the opportunity, lose no time, not lose a moment, make the most of one's time, not suffer the grass to grow under one's feet, improve the shining hour, make short work of, dash off, make haste, do one's best take pains, do wonders, work wonders, have many irons in the fire, have one's hands full, have much on one's hands, have other things to do, have other fish to fry, be busy, not have a moment to spare, not have a moment that one can call one's own, have one's fling, run the round of, go all lengths, stick at nothing, run riot, outdo, overdo, overact, overlay, overshoot the mark, make a toil of a pleasure, have a hand in, take an active part, put in one's oar, have a finger in the pie, mix oneself up with, trouble, one's head about, intrigue, agitate, tamper with, meddle, moil, intermeddle, interfere, interpose, obtrude, poke one's nose in, thrust one's nose in.

Excitation

VB excite, affect, touch, move, impress, strike, interest, animate, inspire, impassion, smite, infect, stir the blood, fire the blood, warm the blood, set astir, wake, awake, awaken, call forth, evoke, provoke, raise up, summon up, call up, wake up, blow up, get up, light up, raise, get up the steam, rouse, arouse, stir, fire, kindle, enkindle, apply the torch, set on fire, inflame, stimulate, exsuscitate, inspirit, spirit up, stir up, work up, pique, infuse life into, give new life to, bring new blood, introduce new blood, quicken, sharpen, whet, work upon, hurry on, give a fillip, put on one's mettle, fan the fire, fan the flame, blow the coals, stir the embers, fan into a flame, foster, heat, warm, foment, raise to a fever heat, keep up, keep the pot boiling, revive, rekindle, rake up, rip up, stir the feelings, play on the feelings, come home to the feelings, touch a string, touch a chord, touch the soul, touch the heart, go to one's heart, penetrate, pierce, go through one, touch to the quick, possess the soul, pervade the soul, penetrate the soul, imbrue the soul, absorb the soul, affect the soul, disturb the soul, absorb, rivet the attention, sink into the mind, sink into the heart, prey on the mind, distract, intoxicate, overwhelm, overpower, bouleverser, upset, turn one's head, fascinate, enrapture, agitate, perturb, ruffle, fluster, shake, disturb, startle, shock, stagger, give one a shock, give one a turn, strike all of a heap, stun, astound, electrify, galvanize, petrify, irritate, sting, cut to the heart, cut to the quick, try one's temper, fool to the top of one's bent, pique, infuriate, madden, make one's blood boil, lash into fury, be excited, flush up, flare up, catch the infection, thrill, mantle, work oneself up, seethe, boil, simmer, foam, fume, flame, rage, rave, run mad.

Agitation

VB be agitated, shake, tremble, tremble like an aspen leaf, quiver, quaver, quake, shiver, twitter, twire, writhe, toss, shuffle, tumble, stagger, bob, reel, sway, wag, waggle, wriggle, wriggle like an eel, dance, stumble, shamble, flounder, totter, flounce, flop, curvet, prance, cavort, squirm, throb, pulsate, beat, palpitate, go pitapat, flutter, flitter, flicker, bicker, bustle, ferment, effervesce, foam, boil, boil over, bubble up, simmer, toss about, jump about, jump like a parched pea, shake like an aspen leaf, shake to its center, shake to its foundations, be the sport of the winds and waves, reel to and fro like a drunken man, move from post to pillar and from pillar to post, drive from post to pillar and from pillar to post, keep between hawk and buzzard, agitate, shake, convulse, toss, tumble, bandy, wield, brandish, flap, flourish, whisk, jerk, hitch, jolt, jog, joggle, jostle, buffet, hustle, disturb, stir, shake up, churn, jounce, wallop, whip, vellicate.

Inquiry

VB make inquiry, inquire, ask, seek, search, look for, look about for, look out for, scan, reconnoiter, explore, sound, rummage, ransack, pry, peer, look round, look over, go over, look through, go through, spy, overhaul, ask about, inquire about, scratch the head, slap the forehead, look into every hole and corner, peer into every hole and corner, pry into every hole and corner, nose, trace up, search out, hunt down, hunt out, fish out, ferret out, unearth, leave no stone unturned, seek a clue, seek a clew, hunt, track, trail, mouse, dodge, trace, follow the trail, follow the scent, pursue, beat up one's quarters, fish for, feel for, investigate, take up an inquiry, institute an inquiry, pursue an inquiry, follow up an inquiry, conduct an inquiry, carry on an inquiry, carry out an inquiry, prosecute an inquiry, look at, look into, preexamine, discuss, canvass, agitate, examine, study, consider, calculate, dip into, dive into, delve into, go deep into, make sure of, probe, sound, fathom, probe to the bottom, probe to the quick, scrutinize, analyze, anatomize, dissect, parse, resolve, sift, winnow, view in all its phases, try in all its phases, thresh out, bring in question, bring into question, subject to examination, put to the proof, audit, tax, pass in review, take into consideration, take counsel, question, demand, put the question, pop the question, propose the question, propound the question, moot the question, start the question, raise the question, stir the question, suggest the question, put forth the question, ventilate the question, grapple with the question, go into a question, question, put to the question, interrogate, pump, subject to interrogation, subject to examination, cross-question, cross-examine, press for an answer, give the third degree, put to the inquisition, dodge, catechize, require an answer, pick the brains of, suck the brains of, feel the pulse, get the lay of the land, see how the wind is blowing, put one's ear to the ground, be in question, undergo examination.