agitated

adjective

ag·​i·​tat·​ed ˈa-jə-ˌtā-təd How to pronounce agitated (audio)
: troubled in mind : disturbed and upset
When Caswall asked him to describe what he had seen …, he got very agitatedBram Stoker
was so agitated she could hardly speak
agitatedly adverb
pacing back and forth agitatedly

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web In response, Universal Music Group, which represents the musicians, issued an agitated statement, and then, as the song turned up on other platforms, embarked on a legal whack-a-mole campaign in a bid to put the A.I. cat back in a bag. Kathleen Breitman, Fortune Crypto, 13 May 2023 Read More: The 4 Main Types of Dementia Understanding Dementia Communication Behaviors Dementia patients who can no longer communicate may sometimes seem agitated and angry. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 5 May 2023 Contrapuntal activity becomes more agitated, leading to dissonant climaxes, a military march and then a sudden hush, with a soulful English horn solo (beautifully played by David Matthews). Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 28 Apr. 2023 The thieves, those frightened and agitated boys, want more. Mariana Enriquez, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2023 Across geographic and demographic lines, residents who spoke with The Chronicle articulated a range of emotions, with some appearing nervous or agitated, and others resigned or even breezily optimistic. Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Apr. 2023 Those extremists could become increasingly agitated by investigations into Trump by Smith and the district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, who could file charges stemming from the president’s efforts to overturn Biden’s narrow victory in the state. Alan Feuer, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Apr. 2023 But there is one, officially dedicated 60 years ago, whose design is so strong and bold as to startle even the most agitated passenger. Wsj Arts, WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022 From the Sherp, Aikens did something similar but reversed, reading the sky to get a sense of what was happening on the ground—vying flocks of sea birds congregating in the same spot might mean a kill, while agitated ravens could be a passerine bear alarm. Josh Condon, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'agitated.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of agitate

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of agitated was in 1684

Dictionary Entries Near agitated

Cite this Entry

“Agitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agitated. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

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