agitate

verb

ˈa-jə-ˌtāt How to pronounce agitate (audio)
Definition of agitatenext
1
as in to stir
to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly this room could use a ceiling fan to agitate the stuffy air a bit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to disturb
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy there's no need to agitate the patient about little things

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements set the washing machine so it will agitate for four minutes before going into the rinse cycle

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to discuss
to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion a question which has been agitated by the legislature time and time again

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word agitate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of agitate are convulse, rock, and shake. While all these words mean "to move up and down or to and fro with some violence," agitate suggests a violent and prolonged tossing or stirring.

an ocean agitated by storms

When is it sensible to use convulse instead of agitate?

The words convulse and agitate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, convulse suggests a violent pulling or wrenching as of a body in a paroxysm.

spectators were convulsed with laughter

Where would rock be a reasonable alternative to agitate?

Although the words rock and agitate have much in common, rock suggests a swinging or swaying motion resulting from violent impact or upheaval.

the whole city was rocked by the explosion

When can shake be used instead of agitate?

The meanings of shake and agitate largely overlap; however, shake often carries a further implication of a particular purpose.

shake well before using

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of agitate Musselman, agitated, barked at referees on their way off the floor. —Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2025 Fill the bucket with water and carefully (with rubber dish gloves) submerge the stained garment in the water, agitating slightly. —Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2025 Astronauts will initiate the fermentation in space by adding water to the device, which will monitor the level of alcohol and mechanically agitate the mash to achieve successful fermentation. —Akiko Katayama, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025 Neither country wants the burden of millions of desperate Gazans who will agitate to return home to Palestine. —Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for agitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitate
  1. stir
  2. disturb
  3. shake
  4. discuss
  5. bother
  6. vibrate
  7. debate
  8. distract
Verb
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
    — Nicole Hopper, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
    — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of stir
Verb
  • This involved manually disturbing the leg and then releasing it, capturing the resulting oscillations on high-speed video.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
  • What Is No-Till Gardening? Simply put, no-till is an approach to gardening that avoids disturbing soil in order to preserve its structure.
    — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of disturb
Verb
  • The back-and-forth over tariffs shook confidence in U.S. leadership, exposed fractures within Trump’s team and rattled companies that rely on global sources for products and international customers for sales.
    — Time, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Trump's punishing tariffs have shaken a global trading order that has persisted for decades, raised fears of recession, and driven worldwide stocks sharply downward.
    — Joe Cash and Trevor Hunnicutt, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of shake
Verb
  • Howell discussed the increasing strain on Hollywood producers.
    — Lauren Coates, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The Vultures artist also spent a good amount of time discussing bosses using their power to take advantage of employees.
    — Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of discuss
Verb
  • Chicago Bears - Will Campbell, OL, LSU Will Campbell has fallen a bit due to his shorter arm length, but that likely won't bother Ben Johnson.
    — Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Because Congress never bothered to write a law to establish it.
    — Jay Cost, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of bother
Verb
  • The shock of the President Trump tariffs still vibrates through the world.
    — Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The vibrating bar also assists with lymphatic drainage, ably contouring, defining, and depuffing the face.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2025
Definition of vibrate
Verb
  • Kicking things off, Samantha, who had been debating on leaving the show in the previous episode, managed to pull Farmer John, 25, aside for what proved to be a pivotal conversation.
    — Dory Jackson, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The origins of the pandemic have been hotly debated since its start.
    — Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of debate
Verb
  • While most of the acting is wonderful (Wyle is predictably great, but so is just about all of the main cast), some patient-of-the-week players err towards distracting histrionics.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The one who got distracted by the minstrel did not finish last.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of distract

Browse Nearby Words

agita
agitate
agitated
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Cite this Entry

“Agitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitate. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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