AGITATING Synonyms: 196 Similar and Opposite Words

agitating 1 of 2

adjective

as in uneasy

marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings no more agitating waits to find out sports scores—get them instantly online!

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

agitating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of agitate

as in stirring

to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly this room could use a ceiling fan to agitate the stuffy air a bit

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as in bothering

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy there's no need to agitate the patient about little things

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in shaking

to make a series of small irregular or violent movements set the washing machine so it will agitate for four minutes before going into the rinse cycle

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as in discussing

to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion a question which has been agitated by the legislature time and time again

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of agitating

Verb

By mid-morning, bees continued to fly around as city workers did their best to cut the tree without getting stung or agitating the hives any further. — Ross Guidotti, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 After many decades of organizing, speaking, writing, agitating — and weathering the constant controversy that courted — Steinem kept going. — Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 Continue to cook, agitating eggs and occasionally shaking pan and running spatula underneath to ensure eggs aren’t sticking, until surface of eggs looks somewhat set but still slightly shiny, about 30 seconds more. — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Sep. 2026 One of the loudest voices in the cattle world agitating against the border reopening is Bill Bullard, the CEO of R-CALF, a national association of independent cattle and sheep farmers. — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026 Eritreans began agitating for independence in the 1960s, which only happened after decades of war and a regime change in Ethiopia. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026 Too much precarity, too little success, and too much commitment to naturally-occurring outcomes means that openly agitating for more diversity can be a nonstarter. — Adia Harvey Wingfield, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Instead of budgeting for $1,800 in tissues, the school insists on agitating parents all summer over crap like this. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Kucherov’s 51 points in 42 career regular-season games and agitating awesomeness against Florida have him at the top of the list. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 25 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitating

Adjective

Upheavals so profound are not accomplished without loosing uneasy spirits that will haunt us for many days.

— J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Silicon sampling troubles some polling traditionalists who are uneasy about ethical and other implications of simulating human responses.

— W. Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of uneasy

Verb

Cook saag over medium-low heat, stirring often, until heated through (do not bring to a simmer or saag may split).

— Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Venus in your career zone forms an awkward connection to Uranus in your playful 5th house, stirring tension between what looks polished and what actually feels interesting.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of stirring

Verb

Lane Kiffin will stroll off the LSU bus later this afternoon, acting as if none of the noise is bothering him.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
The injury was something that had been bothering Smith throughout training camp, but the decision to get surgery wasn’t made until recently.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of bothering

Verb

Something about this bone-shaking noise keeps hitting us right in the darkest places of the soul.

— Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026
Airborne at one point during testing, Silva reportedly inched out on the helicopter's right skid — with no safety belt — to investigate the cause of intense vibrations shaking the cockpit, according to a 2009 interview with Smithsonian Magazine.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of shaking

Verb

Executives at the studio are now discussing internally how to deal with what’s become a political football, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
Giada De Laurentiis also broke down when discussing how her daughter, Jade, pushed her to join the show.

— Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of discussing

Adjective

French President Emanuel Macron delivered a briefing to the candidates running to succeed him so disturbing that even the far-right National Rally’s leaders emerged denouncing Russian hybrid attacks.

— Ben Smith, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
The 72-year-old Cuban widow filed for temporary custody shortly after the disturbing incident.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of disturbing

Verb

Rumors first began swirling after Madonna and Charli were seated next to each other at the Saint Laurent menswear spring/summer 2027 fashion show in late June.

— Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 21 Sep. 2026
The start was delayed 3 hours, 50 minutes by rain, and most of the game was played in a swirling mist.

— CBS News, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026