agitation

noun

ag·​i·​ta·​tion ˌa-jə-ˈtā-shən 

plural agitations

1

: the act or an instance of agitating something : a moving back and forth or with an irregular, rapid, or violent action

In candy making, this agitation usually consists of working the chocolate back and forth on a marble surface with a large scraper.

—Rose Levy Beranbaum

The technology is based on the controlled agitation of concentrated ore particles with precisely determined amounts of acid.

—Corale L. Brierley

2

: a state or feeling of being agitated and restless

nervous agitation

Holmes was for the moment as startled as I. His hand closed like a vice upon my wrist in his agitation.

—Arthur Conan Doyle

She sat some time in a good deal of agitation, listening, trembling, and fearing to be sent for every moment …

—Jane Austen

: a state of excessive psychomotor activity accompanied by increased tension and irritability

… characterized by prominent agitation, irritability, and delusions …

—Oliver Freudenreich et al.

Propranolol and other beta-blockers suppress physical symptoms of agitation and anxiety by slowing down the sympathetic nervous system.

—The Harvard Mental Health Letter

3

: a persistent and sustained attempt to arouse public feeling or influence public opinion (as by appeals, discussions, or demonstrations)

political agitation

… makes it clear that this assertive attitude of black women was essential during the agitation for civil rights.

—Gloria Naylor

agitational

ˌa-jə-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Synonyms of agitation

• frenzy
• rampage
• rage

Examples of agitation in a Sentence

knew immediately, from the horses' agitation, that something terrible was happening

experienced a great deal of agitation over whether she had an appropriate dress for her husband's inauguration

Recent Examples on the Web

But the general agitation about politics and current events that Henrichsen had shown in Sudden Valley were still apparent. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026

Otero Alcántara co-founded the San Isidro Movement in 2018 with a group of artists, journalists, and academics who participated in pro-democracy agitations against the Cuban government. — News Desk, Artforum, 21 July 2026

Agitation tied to pain The male resident's medical records at The Vero said he was diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer's disease, agitation, and anxiety, according to his doctor's deposition. — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026

In the early 19th century, anticolonial agitation rocked the Spanish territory that would soon become Venezuela. — Lindsay Schakenbach Regele, The Conversation, 13 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin agitātiōn-, agitātiō "violent moving or movement," from agitāre "to set in motion, agitate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for agitation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Medical Definition

agitation

noun

ag·​i·​ta·​tion ˌaj-ə-ˈtā-shən 

: a state of excessive psychomotor activity accompanied by increased tension and irritability

agitated

ˈaj-ə-ˌtāt-əd 

adjective