agitation

[aj-i-tey-shuhn]

noun

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

agitation

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of agitation¹

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

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

Read more on Science Daily

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.

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Patients describe sleepless nights, compulsive news checking and physical agitation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Other withdrawal symptoms can include dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, agitation and gastrointestinal side effects.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A hybrid strategy involving maritime and air pressure, covert agitation and inducements, targeted strikes to degrade regime capacity, and political, legal and cyber warfare to isolate Caracas and split the officer corps is realistic.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• disturbance 
• turbulence 
• turmoil 
• unrest 
• upheaval 

When To Use

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.