agitate

agitate Definition

agi·tate (aj′i tāt′)

transitive verb -·tat′ed, -·tat′·ing

Etymology: < L agitatus, pp. of agitare, to put in motion < agere, act

intransitive verb

to stir up interest and support through speeches and writing so as to produce changes to agitate for better working conditions

agitate Synonyms

stir, move, arouse, disturb; see disturb 2, excite 1, 2. See syn. study at disturb.

agitate Usage Examples

Object

voice: In an agitated voice the moderator said: " Young man, sit down.
mind: It should agitate the minds of the local people who may be compelled to contrast their own lives with ours.
state: I awoke from a dream - the contents of which I will describe later - in a most agitated state.
bit: I seem to remember he would occasionally get a bit agitated.
water: Then he leaned forward, and in the intense silence we were aware of the soft lapping of agitated water.
man: An agitated grey-headed man appeared from the room of the Ward Leaders.

Preposition: on

Modifying Another Word

violently: The waters of the Nyanza, violently agitated, were foaming like the billows of a sea.
gently: The sample is sprayed into the oven through the opening in the top, and can be gently agitated throughout.
increasingly: However, from 1933 the minority ' Sudeten ' German population increasingly agitated for incorporation into Hitler's Reich.
deeply: As we approached the scene of the crime I could see that my friend under all his habitual coolness was in truth deeply agitated.
extremely: This sparked furious protests, with both camps becoming extremely agitated to say the least.
slightly: The farmer was amazed and slightly agitated to see Tom stood under the porch clutching the ' bladder of brandy ' .

Used with why or when

when: The dog thought she was in for a long walk and began to get agitated when we stopped at the Coffin Stone.

Infinitive complement

get: He opposed unfair taxes levied on Indian workers and he agitated to get Indians their voting rights.
ensure: The slipper was agitated constantly to ensure a smooth flow of grain into the stones.

Preposition: for

reform: Thomas Attwood, a banker, was the leader of the Birmingham Political Union, which had agitated for political reform in 1832.
change: With Celtic dominating the domestic game the bigger clubs were once again agitating for change.
war: Many of the same countries that were agitating for war against Yugoslav President Milosevic suddenly find war with Iraq intolerable.

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