agitate

shake, agitate, rock, convulse mean to move up and down or to and fro with some violence. shake often carries a further implication of a particular purpose.

• • shake well before using

agitate suggests a violent and prolonged tossing or stirring.

• • an ocean agitated by storms

rock suggests a swinging or swaying motion resulting from violent impact or upheaval.

• • the whole city was rocked by the explosion

convulse suggests a violent pulling or wrenching as of a body in a paroxysm.

• • spectators were convulsed with laughter

discompose, disquiet, disturb, perturb, agitate, upset, fluster mean to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action. discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

• • discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

• • the disquieting news of factories closing

disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

• • the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

• • perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

• • in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

• • the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

• • his declaration of love completely flustered her