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
• heated
• upset

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

As officers tried to determine if he was connected to the disturbance, Cusick allegedly became agitated and produced a firearm, Depue said earlier. —Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025

The phenomenon is caused by a chemical reaction the algae produce when they are agitated or disturbed — if they are grabbed by a predator, for example, or experience a surge of movement from a wave or swimmer. —Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025

Customers are allowed to be angry and agitated. —Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025

An agitated elephant lay on the psychiatrist’s couch. —Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of agitate

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for agitated

• abdicated
• abrogated
• acclimated
• activated
• actuated
• adumbrated
• advocated
• aggravated
• aggregated
• allocated
• alternated
• amputated