agitate
verb (used with object)
to move or force into violent, irregular action.
have been agitating
-
present perfect progressiveof agitate.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
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.
Thousands of university students have been agitating for weeks against a quota system for government jobs.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2024
Gemini and other Genesis creditors have been agitating for a solution to avoid a situation similar to FTX's rapid descent into bankruptcy.
From Reuters ● Jan. 12, 2023
“It’s a big victory for the farmers’ movement and a big boost for those who have been agitating for over a year,” said Kiran Vissa, a farmer leader from southern Telangana state.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 19, 2021
The masked and anonymous Guerrilla Girls, behaving so badly they’re good, have been agitating for gender equity in the institutional art world for 35 years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2020
"I'll not tell it!" said he, after a pause of some seconds, during which he seemed to have been agitating within himself all the reasons on either side—"I'll not tell it."
From The O'Donoghue Tale Of Ireland Fifty Years Ago by Charles James Lever
