agitation

American  

[aj-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌædʒ ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

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.

Related Words

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

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

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

It was doubly bold, because Seaver was a clean-cut former Marine not given to agitation, and the World Series hadn’t even started.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The possible significance of interventions from Washington remains unclear, but Boily said: "It's certain that the agitation south of the border has an impact on what is happening in Alberta."

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

Other behavioral traits, such as agitation or anxiety, did not show the same association.

From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2025

And once they reach the level of agitation where they've started picking a fight with a flight attendant or passenger, he said they're unlikely to remember Duffy's words or calm down.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

Pieces such as Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring or Orff’s Carmina Burana, for example, would not be good choices as they are likely to promote agitation and frenetic activity rather than concentration and productivity.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

• disturbance
• turbulence
• turmoil
• unrest
• upheaval