agitation

American  

[aj-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌædʒ ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

agitations plural

1. the act or process of agitating; state of being agitated.

   She left in great agitation.

   Synonyms:

   ado, perturbation, conflict, struggle, disquiet, unrest, storm, tumult

2. persistent urging of a political or social cause or theory before the public.

   Synonyms:

   argument, discussion, debate

3. Also called psychomotor agitation.  psychological and physical restlessness, manifested by pacing, hand-wringing, or other activity, sometimes occurring as a symptom of severe depression, schizophrenia, or other mental disorder.

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agitation British  

/ ˌædʒɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. a state of excitement, disturbance, or worry

2. the act of moving something vigorously; the shaking or stirring of something

3. the act of attempting to stir up public opinion for or against something

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Usage

What does agitation mean? Agitation is the state or feeling of being agitated—anxious, bothered, or worried, as in There is a lot of agitation among the employees who have not yet been paid. It also commonly refers to the act or process of agitating—shaking up, stirring up, or causing something to move around roughly, as in The agitation of the water by strong winds has caused it to become very choppy. The verb agitate is also used in a more specific way to mean to attempt to promote support or opposition for a political or social cause, especially by repeatedly raising the issue and bringing awareness to it. The act of doing this can be called agitation, and a person who does this can be called an agitator. Example: You could hear Mom’s agitation growing with each additional time she asked Tim to take out the garbage.

Synonym Usage

Agitation, disturbance, excitement, turmoil imply inner unrest, uneasiness, or apprehension. Agitation implies a shaken state of emotions, usually perceptible in the face or movements: With evident agitation she opened the telegram. Disturbance implies an inner disquiet caused by worry, indecision, apprehension, or the like: Long-continued mental disturbance is a cause of illness. Excitement implies a highly emotional state caused by either agreeable or distressing circumstances: excitement over a proposed trip, unexpected good news, a fire. Turmoil suggests such a struggle or conflict of emotions that one is unable to think consecutively: Her thoughts were in a hopeless turmoil.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overagitation
  noun
• preagitation
  noun
• reagitation
  noun
• superagitation
  noun
• underagitation
  noun
• agitational
  adjective
• proagitation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• agitations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of agitation

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin agitātiōn-, stem of agitātiō; equivalent to agitate + -ion

Explanation

Agitation is the act of stirring things up, like the agitation of a washing machine that moves the water, detergent, and clothes around and gets the dirt out or the agitation of political activists who want people to work together to do something. The verb agitation comes from the Latin word agitare, meaning “move to and fro.” Agitation can happen whenever something is physically moved around, like stirring flour, eggs and milk to make pancake batter. Agitation also describes feeling stirred up emotionally — upset — or moved to act, like the agitation of protesters whose signs about unfair hiring practices at a store make many shoppers go somewhere else.

Example Sentences

Agitation, on the other hand—the sort of I-told-ya-so infighting, finger-pointing, and disenchantment which followed Sunday’s rude playoff dismissal by San Francisco?

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

She is the vice director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department at the Korean Workers’ Party, as well as a member of the State Affairs Commission, North Korea’s top decision-making authority.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 30, 2025

Agitation and civil war persisted until 672, when King Temmu and Jito, his wife and later successor, came to the throne and initiated the Taika Reforms.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

It seems that the country's powerful Propaganda and Agitation Department knew there was a balancing act involved here.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2022

He doth not comprehend my full Palsy nor how Agitation inspires its Assaults through the Disequilibrium of the Humors, viz. the Superabundance of Bile.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• disturbance
• turbulence
• turmoil
• unrest
• upheaval