agitation

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.

The first records of the word agitation come from around the mid-1500s. It ultimately comes from the Latin verb agitāre, meaning “to set in motion.” The suffix -ion indicates an action or condition.

In most of its senses, agitation involves stirring things up or setting things in motion in a way that’s a bit messy or turbulent. The feeling of agitation involves your emotions being stirred up by something that’s frustrating, annoying, or stressful. The agitation of physical things usually involves them being literally stirred up, such as the ocean being stirred up by storm. Agitation in a political context involves stirring things up to make a change, especially in a way that’s a little controversial.

In psychology, psychomotor agitation is a symptom of some psychological disorders that involves physical restlessness, including things like pacing and handwringing.

What are some other forms related to agitation?

• agitational (adjective)
• overagitation (noun)
• agitate (verb)

What are some synonyms for agitation?

• tension
• anxiousness
• disquiet
• perturbation
• turmoil
• turbulence
• disturbance
• unrest

What are some words that share a root or word element with agitation? 

• agitated
• agitator

What are some words that often get used in discussing agitation?

• stir up
• shake up
• feeling
• stress
• public
• political
• social
• psychomotor

When it involves feelings of anxiousness, agitation is typically used in negative situations. When it refers to political activity, agitation usually implies that there is controversy or contentiousness involved.

I don't care how tiny the argument is, if you say "whatever" to me then I instantly reach a whole new level of agitation.

— Marie Gaumont (@MarieGaumont) April 1, 2013

Authenticity isn't just about the ability to express anger and agitation. It's also about the willingness to accept agency and accountability. If you're only doing the former, you're not keeping it 100%. You're mailing it in at 50%

— T.K. Coleman (@TK_Coleman) December 9, 2018

thinking about my Sicilian great-great grandfather Vincenzo who tried and failed to do pro-independence "bring back the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies" political agitation in the 1880s before being unceremoniously exiled to the United States

— ghost denier (@coronarycommie) July 29, 2020

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of agitation?

A. disturbance
B. turbulence
C. unrest
D. peace