 3 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
agitate
verb
1: try to stir up public opinion [syn: {foment}, {stir up}]
2: cause to be agitated, excited, or roused; "The speaker
charged up the crowd with his inflammatory remarks" [syn:
{rouse}, {turn on}, {charge}, {commove}, {excite}, {charge
up}] [ant: {calm}]
3: 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" [syn: {crusade}, {fight},
{press}, {campaign}, {push}]
4: move very slightly; "He shifted in his seat" [syn: {stir}, {shift},
{budge}]
5: move or cause to move back and forth; "The chemist shook the
flask vigorously"; "My hands were shaking" [syn: {shake}]
6: change the arrangement or position of [syn: {vex}, {disturb},
{commove}, {shake up}, {stir up}, {raise up}]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Agitate \Ag"i*tate\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Agitated}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Agitating}.] [L. agitatus, p. p. of agitare to put in
motion, fr. agere to move: cf. F. agiter. See {Act},
{Agent}.]
1. To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind
agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel. ''Winds .
. . agitate the air.'' --Cowper.
2. To move or actuate. [R.] --Thomson.
3. To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb; as, he was
greatly agitated.
The mind of man is agitated by various passions.
--Johnson.
4. To discuss with great earnestness; to debate; as, a
controversy hotly agitated. --Boyle.
5. To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to
contrive busily; to devise; to plot; as, politicians
agitate desperate designs.
Syn: To move; shake; excite; rouse; disturb; distract;
revolve; discuss; debate; canvass.
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
120 Moby Thesaurus words for "agitate":
actuate, afflict, air, argue, arouse, assail, attack, beat,
beat up, blow the coals, bother, bounce, broach, bug, burden,
campaign, canvass, churn, churn up, concern, concuss, consider,
convulse, debate, disarrange, discept, discombobulate, discomfit,
discomfort, discompose, disconcert, dispute, disquiet, distract,
distress, disturb, drive, electrify, embroil, exasperate, excite,
fan, fan the flame, feed the fire, ferment, fire, flurry, fluster,
flutter, foment, frazzle, fret, fuss, give concern, heat, heat up,
impassion, impel, incense, incite, inflame, instigate, irritate,
jar, joggle, jolt, jounce, load with care, moot, move, nettle,
paddle, peeve, perturb, perturbate, pique, press, promote, provoke,
psych, push, put to it, put up to, rally, rattle, rile, ripple,
rock, roil, roughen, rouse, ruffle, rumple, set on, shake,
shake up, shock, sic on, spook, stagger, stir, stir the embers,
stir up, swirl, thrash out, throw, throw into confusion, tickle,
trouble, unhinge, unnerve, unsettle, untune, upset, ventilate,
whet, whip, whip up, whisk, work up
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