agitate
verb /ˈædʒɪteɪt/
/ˈædʒɪteɪt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they agitate | /ˈædʒɪteɪt/ /ˈædʒɪteɪt/ |
| he / she / it agitates | /ˈædʒɪteɪts/ /ˈædʒɪteɪts/ |
| past simple agitated | /ˈædʒɪteɪtɪd/ /ˈædʒɪteɪtɪd/ |
| past participle agitated | /ˈædʒɪteɪtɪd/ /ˈædʒɪteɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form agitating | /ˈædʒɪteɪtɪŋ/ /ˈædʒɪteɪtɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to argue strongly for something you want, especially for changes in a law, in social conditions, etc. synonym campaign
- agitate (for/against something) political groups agitating for social change
- Some militant groups have been agitating for autonomy for the region.
- agitate to do something Her family are agitating to have her transferred to a prison in the UK.
- [transitive] agitate somebody to make somebody feel angry, anxious or nervous
- This remark seemed to agitate her guest.
- Richard felt agitated by a mixture of anger, fear and pleasure.
- [transitive] agitate something (specialist) to make something, especially a liquid, move around by mixing or shaking it
- Agitate the mixture to dissolve the powder.
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘drive away’): from Latin agitat- ‘agitated, driven’, from agitare, frequentative of agere ‘do, drive’.