1
as in frenzy
a state of wildly excited activity or emotion
knew immediately, from the horses' agitation, that something terrible was happening
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in anxiety
an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble
experienced a great deal of agitation over whether she had an appropriate dress for her husband's inauguration
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 agitation
Though still emerging, research indicates these devices may offer emotional benefits, reducing loneliness and agitation among hospice patients.
—
Wes Kilgore, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Severe symptoms start to appear within two weeks of initial onset and can include anxiety, confusion, agitation, and hallucinations.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 14 Aug. 2025
What has Perry done to provoke so much agitation and scorn?
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
According to Gardner, the biggest threats to delicate clothing are heat, harsh detergents, and too much agitation.
—Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agitation
Wes Kilgore, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Severe symptoms start to appear within two weeks of initial onset and can include anxiety, confusion, agitation, and hallucinations.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 14 Aug. 2025
What has Perry done to provoke so much agitation and scorn?
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
According to Gardner, the biggest threats to delicate clothing are heat, harsh detergents, and too much agitation.
—Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agitation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitation
Noun
-
Advertisement Buyback frenzy — But plenty of companies are profiting like crazy off the AI boom—so why has Ellison profited so uniquely enormously?—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
-
While earlier incidents against Jewish sites, coming amid the backlash over the soaring death toll in Israel’s conflict in Gaza, sparked a media frenzy around this particularly act of brazen antisemitism, the pigs’ heads did not have the same effect.—
Saskya Vandoorne,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Add in the possibility of more extensive – and costly – work such as bridges, crowns, extractions or implants, and the anxiety can grow even stronger.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The enthusiasm around personal curriculums and independent learning might reflect modern-day anxieties.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Set two years after the little robot lady went on a murderous rampage and was subsequently destroyed, M3GAN’s creator Gemma (Williams) has become a high-profile author and advocate for government oversight of AI.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara condemned the rampage and said the repeat offender endangered the public.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Mothers told Fletcher of sending their children to live elsewhere for fear they will be raped in the displacement camps, a constant worry.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The stock is still benefiting from having been dismissed and cheapened by prior fears of its search franchise being disrupted.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Like an amulet, or a bible, the immense and somehow lingering grief and rage flowing through it is with me everywhere.—
Sara Stridsberg
September 15,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The young man’s beauty, musical talents, and athletic prowess, however, belie volatile currents of desire and rage, which will eventually scandalize the community and unsettle Priscilla and Diamond’s faiths.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The vote to approve Miran’s nomination passed 48-47, along party lines, with Democrats expressing concern about the appointment impacting the central bank’s independence.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Motiva is helping to eliminate this concern.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The worry is that these aren’t simple, one-off glitches, but systemic flaws with the way that generative tools are designed and built, and a lack of accountability for the behavior of AI algorithms.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Taxes at that level were essentially a blockade on commerce between the world's two largest economies, causing worries about global growth that led to negotiations that ratcheted down the tariffs being levied by both nations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
War games involving Russian and Belarusian troops on Monday spurred unease in Europe, which is already on edge after Russian drones entered Poland and Romania last week.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Pasteur himself didn’t opine on whether this might threaten existing life, but others were soon expressing unease following his breakthroughs in unlocking life’s chemical secrets.—
Thomas Moynihan,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitation. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share