Synonyms for agitate
ˈædʒ ɪˌteɪtag·i·tate

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. agitateverb

   Synonyms:
   disturb, rouse, excite, canvass, distract, revolve, discuss, debate, shake, move

2. agitateverb

   To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel.

   ``Winds . . . agitate the air. --Cowper.

   Synonyms:
   shake, discuss, canvass, revolve, excite, disturb, debate, move, distract, rouse

3. agitateverb

   To move or actuate. --Thomson.

   Synonyms:
   debate, distract, move, revolve, disturb, canvass, shake, discuss, rouse, excite

4. agitateverb

   To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb; as, he was greatly agitated.

   The mind of man is agitated by various passions. --Johnson.

   Synonyms:
   distract, debate, shake, excite, disturb, rouse, revolve, canvass, discuss, move

5. agitateverb

   To discuss with great earnestness; to debate; as, a controversy hotly agitated. --Boyle.

   Synonyms:
   disturb, discuss, distract, rouse, revolve, shake, canvass, debate, move, excite

6. agitateverb

   To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to contrive busily; to devise; to plot; as, politicians agitate desperate designs.

   Synonyms:
   excite, shake, disturb, discuss, distract, rouse, canvass, move, revolve, debate

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. agitate

   A thing is shaken which is subjected to short and abruptly checked movements, as forward and backward, up and down, from side to side, etc. A tree is "shaken with a mighty wind;" a man slowly shakes his head. A thing rocks that is sustained from below; it swings if suspended from above, as a pendulum, or pivoted at the side, as a crane or a bridge-draw; to oscillate is to swing with a smooth and regular returning motion; a vibrating motion may be tremulous or jarring. The pendulum of a clock may be said to swing, vibrate, or oscillate; a steel bridge vibrates under the passage of a heavy train; the term vibrate is also applied to molecular movements. Jolting is a lifting from and letting down suddenly upon an unyielding surface; as, a carriage jolts over a rough road. A jarring motion is abruptly and very rapidly repeated through an exceedingly limited space; the jolting of the carriage jars the windows. Rattling refers directly to the sound produced by shaking. To joggle is to shake slightly; as, a passing touch joggles the desk on which one is writing. A thing trembles that shakes perceptibly and with an appearance of uncertainty and instability, as a person under the influence of fear; a thing shivers when all its particles are stirred with a slight but pervading tremulous motion, as a human body under the influence of cold; shuddering is a more pronounced movement of a similar kind, in human beings often the effect of emotional or moral recoil; hence, the word is applied by extension to such feelings even when they have no such outward manifestation; as, one says, "I shudder at the thought." To quiver is to have slight and often spasmodic contractile motions, as the flesh under the surgeon's knife. Thrill is applied to a pervasive movement felt rather than seen; as, the nerves thrill with delight; quiver is similarly used, but suggests somewhat more of outward manifestation. To agitate in its literal use is nearly the same as to shake, tho we speak of the sea as agitated when we could not say it is shaken; the Latin agitate is preferred in scientific or technical use to the Saxon shake, and especially as applied to the action of mechanical contrivances; in the metaphorical use agitate is more transitory and superficial, shake more fundamental and enduring; a person's feelings are agitated by distressing news; his courage, his faith, his credit, or his testimony is shaken. Sway applies to the movement of a body suspended from above or not firmly sustained from below, and the motion of which is less pronounced than swinging, smoother than vibrating, and not necessarily constant as oscillating; as, the swaying of a reed in the wind. Sway used transitively especially applies to motions of grace or dignity; brandish denotes a threatening or hostile motion; a monarch sways the scepter; the ruffian brandishes a club. To reel or totter always implies liability to fall; reeling is more violent than swaying, tottering more irregular; a drunken man reels; we speak of the tottering step of age or infancy. An extended mass which seems to lack solidity or cohesion is said to quake; as, a quaking bog. Quaver is applied almost exclusively to tremulous sounds of the human voice. Flap, flutter, and fluctuate refer to wave-like movements, flap generally to such as produce a sharp sound; a cock flaps his wings; flutter applies to a less pronounced and more irregular motion; a captive bird or a feeble pulse flutters. Compare FLUCTUATE.

   Synonyms:
   brandish, flap, fluctuate, flutter, jar, joggle, jolt, jounce, oscillate, quake, quaver, quiver, reel, rock, shake, shiver, shudder, sway, swing, thrill, totter, tremble, vibrate, wave, waver

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. agitate

   Synonyms:
   disturb, trouble, excite, ruffle, stir, fluster, oscillate, instigate, convulse, shake

   Antonyms:
   calm, compose, allay, pacify, smooth, it is sometimes used of argumentative consideration, as, to agitate a question

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. agitate, foment, stir upverb

   try to stir up public opinion

   Synonyms:
   fight, wake, fire up, commove, turn on, shake up, ignite, shake, rouse, disturb, vex, stir, campaign, excite, stir up, inflame, charge, shift, instigate, foment, raise up, press, incite, charge up, crusade, set off, push, budge, heat

   Antonyms:
   quieten, tranquilize, lull, calm down, tranquillize, calm, quiet, tranquillise, still

2. agitate, rouse, turn on, charge, commove, excite, charge upverb

   cause to be agitated, excited, or roused

   "The speaker charged up the crowd with his inflammatory remarks"

   Synonyms:
   fight, trip out, crusade, excite, institutionalize, disturb, trip, level, shake up, shake, depend upon, get off, commove, commit, rout out, press, blame, appoint, wake up, stir, wake, load, shift, energise, point, stimulate, consign, hinge on, arouse, drive out, sex, buck, saddle, vex, accuse, institutionalise, tear, lodge, ride, depend on, bill, file, devolve on, budge, hinge upon, energize, bestir, waken, turn on, charge, bear down, wind up, shoot down, charge up, rouse, awaken, burden, shoot, force out, push, foment, campaign, send, stir up, raise up, switch on

   Antonyms:
   quieten, quiet, lull, calm, calm down, tranquillise, still, tranquilize, tranquillize

3. crusade, fight, press, campaign, push, agitateverb

   exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for

   "The liberal party pushed for reforms"; "She is crusading for women's rights"; "The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate"

   Synonyms:
   fight, tug, excite, iron out, press out, crowd, raise up, shake up, shake, commove, run, press, vex, advertize, adjure, stir, budge, shift, urge on, weight-lift, promote, foment, turn on, rouse, compress, urge, struggle, oppose, entreat, contend, beseech, contract, iron, crusade, defend, fight back, squeeze, charge, compact, bear on, drive, exhort, labor, force, stir up, bid, charge up, push, fight down, campaign, take the field, weigh, conjure, constrict, disturb, advertise, weightlift, labour

   Antonyms:
   quiet, calm down, lull, quieten, tranquillise, calm, tranquillize, still, tranquilize

4. stir, shift, budge, agitateverb

   move very slightly

   "He shifted in his seat"

   Synonyms:
   fight, touch, shake up, charge, excite, arouse, put forward, raise up, shake, transfer, commove, tilt, vex, stir, call down, conjure, stimulate, switch, rouse, budge, bring up, campaign, conjure up, reposition, invoke, raise, turn on, pitch, lurch, call forth, change over, careen, shift, wobble, dislodge, evoke, charge up, push, foment, crusade, change, press, stir up, disturb

   Antonyms:
   tranquillise, still, tranquillize, quieten, lull, calm down, quiet, tranquilize, calm

5. shake, agitateverb

   move or cause to move back and forth

   "The chemist shook the flask vigorously"; "My hands were shaking"

   Synonyms:
   foment, commove, turn on, shake up, escape from, judder, rouse, disturb, sway, charge up, stir, campaign, shift, crusade, rock, shake, stir up, charge, raise up, throw off, didder, shake off, budge, press, vex, stimulate, excite, push, fight

   Antonyms:
   calm down, lull, tranquillize, calm, quieten, still, quiet, tranquilize, tranquillise

6. agitate, vex, disturb, commove, shake up, stir up, raise upverb

   change the arrangement or position of

   Synonyms:
   fight, touch, crusade, succuss, excite, stick, perplex, disturb, get, nark, irritate, shake up, shake, mystify, flummox, commove, inflame, bother, press, rile, gravel, stir, nonplus, wake, shift, instigate, stimulate, reorganise, get to, dumbfound, rouse, fire up, reorganize, interrupt, vex, heat, nettle, baffle, chafe, get at, trouble, beat, fluff up, ignite, budge, amaze, turn on, charge, annoy, bump around, upset, charge up, incite, jar, puzzle, bewilder, rag, push, foment, campaign, stupefy, worry, stir up, raise up, plump up, pose, devil, set off

   Antonyms:
   lull, still, tranquilize, quiet, calm, tranquillize, calm down, tranquillise, quieten

Matched Categories

1. • Move
   • Promote

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. agitateverb

   Synonyms:
   shake, jar, toss, rock, trouble (by brisk motion), convulse

2. agitateverb

   Synonyms:
   excite, ruffle, rouse, ferment, stir up, work up

3. agitateverb

   Synonyms:
   fluster, flurry, hurry, confuse, disconcert

4. agitateverb

   Synonyms:
   discuss, controvert, canvass, debate, dispute, ventilate

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. agitateverb

   Synonyms:
   disturb, shake, unsettle, excite, perturb, disconcert, discuss, consider

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "agitate":

   shake, stir, wag

How to pronounce agitate?

How to say agitate in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use agitate in a sentence?

1. Edward R. Murrow:

   A reporter is always concerned with tomorrow. There's nothing tangible of yesterday. All I can say I've done is agitate the air ten or fifteen minutes and then boom -- it's gone.

2. Matthew Beesley:

   The maths would suggest that were the oil price at or above $80 then Shell would be snaring BG for a very attractive price, while the total determination is of course dependent on the level of Shell shares at the time of issuance to BG shareholders, above $80 its not inconceivable that BG shareholders could start to agitate for a higher bid or indeed a competing bid.

3. Darren Wright:

   If you make one arrest, that could agitate the crowd and make things worse, if they're not creating violence at the moment and they're not destroying property, we have time on our hands, and we want to try to keep it as peaceful as possible.

4. Lesley McSpadden:

   Don't agitate them. Don't let them agitate you, I don't want nobody to get hurt.

5. George Goehl:

   You are an organizer. You bring not bread, but yeast. You are here to agitate and inspire more people to ask hard questions, to uncover hidden truths, to realize their power, and to do all of this with lots of other people. What an amazing thing.