verb

agitate

A-jih-tayt

verb

To make someone anxious, upset, or unsettled.

"The news of the delay agitated the already nervous passengers."

"Loud noises seem to agitate the baby."

To shake or stir something with force.

"Agitate the mixture gently before pouring it into the mould."

To campaign publicly and persistently for a political or social cause.

"Activists agitated for years to get the law changed."

How to Use Agitate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo stir something up — literally (shaking a liquid) or figuratively (making someone anxious, or campaigning loudly for change).

Common pairings

agitate the mixture agitate for change visibly agitated

agitated past tense, agitates singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The news of the delay _____ the already nervous passengers.

From Latin agitare, "to keep moving, drive on" — a frequentative form of agere, "to drive or move," the same root as "act" and "agent."

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