agitation

noun

ag·​i·​ta·​tion ˌa-jə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce agitation (audio)
plural agitations
1
: the act or an instance of agitating something : a moving back and forth or with an irregular, rapid, or violent action
In candy making, this agitation usually consists of working the chocolate back and forth on a marble surface with a large scraper.Rose Levy Beranbaum
The technology is based on the controlled agitation of concentrated ore particles with precisely determined amounts of acid.Corale L. Brierley
2
: a state or feeling of being agitated and restless
nervous agitation
Holmes was for the moment as startled as I. His hand closed like a vice upon my wrist in his agitation.Arthur Conan Doyle
She sat some time in a good deal of agitation, listening, trembling, and fearing to be sent for every moment …Jane Austen
: a state of excessive psychomotor activity accompanied by increased tension and irritability
… characterized by prominent agitation, irritability, and delusionsOliver Freudenreich et al.
Propranolol and other beta-blockers suppress physical symptoms of agitation and anxiety by slowing down the sympathetic nervous system.The Harvard Mental Health Letter
3
: a persistent and sustained attempt to arouse public feeling or influence public opinion (as by appeals, discussions, or demonstrations)
political agitation
… makes it clear that this assertive attitude of black women was essential during the agitation for civil rights.Gloria Naylor
agitational adjective

Examples of agitation in a Sentence

knew immediately, from the horses' agitation, that something terrible was happening experienced a great deal of agitation over whether she had an appropriate dress for her husband's inauguration
Recent Examples on the Web Places that Nasseri had experienced previously as hotbeds of agitation were now sleepy, as if forgotten. Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2024 With increasing agitation, Estela relates the family’s dark dramas and her own mounting feelings of detachment, creating an outsider’s portrait of bourgeois unravelling, deftly entwined with reflections on class and oppression. The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 For more about caring for Alzheimer's dementia patients with agitation, visit RecognizeAlzheimersAgitation.com. Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2024 Pacing in a state of agitation, its flanks heave with every breath and its mouth drips with saliva. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for agitation 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'agitation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin agitātiōn-, agitātiō "violent moving or movement," from agitāre "to set in motion, agitate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of agitation was in 1547

Dictionary Entries Near agitation

Cite this Entry

“Agitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agitation. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

agitation

noun
ag·​i·​ta·​tion ˌaj-ə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce agitation (audio)
: a state of excessive psychomotor activity accompanied by increased tension and irritability
agitated adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on agitation

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