agitated

adjective

ag·​i·​tat·​ed ˈa-jə-ˌtā-təd 

: troubled in mind : disturbed and upset

When Caswall asked him to describe what he had seen …, he got very agitated …

—Bram Stoker

was so agitated she could hardly speak

agitatedly adverb

pacing back and forth agitatedly

Synonyms

• excited
• feverish
• frenzied
• heated
• hectic
• hyperactive
• overactive
• overwrought

Examples of agitated in a Sentence

all ferry crossings were cancelled because of the agitated waters around the islands

by the time they finally showed up, long after midnight, we'd become so agitated that we never did get to sleep that night

Recent Examples on the Web

Noah, prompted by Eli to recall his mysterious past, enters a wordless state of terror; Eli, increasingly agitated, demands a nonverbal grade schooler tell him what’s going on. —Alison Herman, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024

From this worry—denounced by liberal advocates arguing that such fears only sow division among minority groups—has emerged a movement of agitated parents. —Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024

But Oliver becomes increasingly agitated, ranting and pacing. —Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024

Does the recipient seems confused, fatigued, agitated or unsteady? —Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of agitate

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above