agitator

noun

ag·​i·​ta·​tor ˈa-jə-ˌtā-tər 

: one that agitates: such as

a

: one who stirs up public feeling on controversial issues

political agitators

b

: a device or an apparatus for stirring or shaking

Synonyms

• demagogue
• demagog
• exciter
• firebrand
• fomenter
• incendiary
• inciter
• instigator
• kindler
• provocateur
• rabble-rouser

Examples of agitator in a Sentence

The police arrested several anti-government agitators.

a political agitator who led an unsuccessful revolt against the government

Recent Examples on the Web

On Monday night, anti-Israel agitators with the group Within Our Lifetime (WOL) protested in the train station’s main concourse. —Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025

This event is being driven by left-wing extremists and paid agitators with a clear agenda. —Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025

Loomer’s Role in Firings: The firing of national security officials on the advice of Laura Loomer, a far-right agitator and conspiracy theorist, unsettled even some veteran Trump officials. —Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025

Northerners were seen as outside agitators, trying to spread the notion that Black literacy was a good idea. —Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

agitate + -or entry 1

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for agitator

• activator
• actuator
• alligator
• allocator
• alternator
• animator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator
• calculator

Kids Definition

agitator

noun

ag·​i·​ta·​tor ˈaj-ə-ˌtāt-ər 

1

: a person who stirs up public feeling

2

: a device for stirring or shaking