agitator

American  

[aj-i-tey-ter] / ˈædʒ ɪˌteɪ tər /

noun

1. a person who stirs up others in order to upset the status quo and further a political, social, or other cause.

   The boss said he would fire any union agitators.

2. a machine or device for agitating and mixing.

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agitator British  

/ ˈædʒɪˌteɪtə /

noun

1. a person who agitates for or against a cause, etc

2. a device, machine, or part used for mixing, shaking, or vibrating a material, usually a fluid

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Usage

What does agitator mean? An agitator is someone who attempts to promote support or opposition for a political or social cause, especially by repeatedly raising the issue and bringing awareness to it. To do this is to agitate, and the act of doing this can be called agitation. Both words are much more commonly used in more general ways. The verb agitate more commonly means to make someone feel anxious or to stir something up, like how a storm agitates the ocean. Calling someone an agitator often implies that they are trying to stir things up and change the status quo, especially in a way that’s controversial. People who intend to do this might call themselves agitators. However, the word agitator is often used in a negative way, perhaps implying that such a person only intends to cause trouble. A more negative synonym for agitator is provocateur. A more positive or neutral synonym is activist. The word agitator is also used in another very specific but unrelated way, as a name for a machine part whose function is agitating or mixing. This sense of the word is most commonly used to refer to part of a washing machine that agitates the clothes (spins them around in the water). Example: He has spent years as a prominent antiwar agitator, protesting the proliferation of the military-industrial complex.

Other Word Forms

• agitatorial
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of agitator

First recorded in 1730–40; agitate + -or ²

Explanation

In politics, an agitator is someone who deliberately gets other people riled up about an issue, encouraging them to protest. It's a fairly common political tactic to call activists and reformers agitators, implying that they mainly want to cause trouble. When large groups of citizens protest policies or laws, those in opposition sometimes accuse them of being agitators, rather than people who actually believe in a cause. In the 1960s, George Wallace, the pro-segregation governor of Alabama, famously called civil rights activists "paid outside agitators."

Example Sentences

One possible approach is buying the stock when the agitator is first making noise and then selling if the target company finally gives in to an activist’s demands.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

In a statement on X, Omar said: "I'm ok. I'm a survivor so this small agitator isn't going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don't let bullies win."

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

“To ensure the safety of the officers, the agitator and the public, the agitator was removed from his vehicle and detained,” said spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

Within hours, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection officials released a familiar statement: an agent, they said, had acted in lawful self-defense against an armed and violent agitator.

From Slate • Jan. 25, 2026

Of course the agitator lost face and that was the end of that.

From "Homesick" by Jean Fritz

Related Words

• anarchist
• demagogue
• firebrand
• malcontent
• propagandist
• protestor
• radical
• troublemaker
• zealot