agitator
Americannoun
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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.
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a machine or device for agitating and mixing.
noun
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a person who agitates for or against a cause, etc
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a device, machine, or part used for mixing, shaking, or vibrating a material, usually a fluid
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win,” she said.
From Salon • Jan. 28, 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
To downplay accusations of being an outside agitator, she ran her operation out of her hotel room, offering direction to state and local suffragists.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
