v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Agitated p. pr. & vb. n. Agitating ] [ L. agitatus, p. p. of agitare to put in motion, fr. agere to move: cf. F. agiter. See Act, Agent. ] 1. To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel. “Winds . . . agitate the air.” Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To move or actuate. [ R. ] Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb; as, he was greatly agitated. [ 1913 Webster ]

The mind of man is agitated by various passions. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To discuss with great earnestness; to debate; as, a controversy hotly agitated. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to contrive busily; to devise; to plot; as, politicians agitate desperate designs. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To move; shake; excite; rouse; disturb; distract; revolve; discuss; debate; canvass. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. troubled emotionally and usually deeply. Opposite of unagitated. agitated parents Narrower terms are: demoniac, demoniacal ; distraught, overwrought; disturbed, jolted, shaken; feverish, hectic; frantic, frenetic, phrenetic, frenzied; psychedelic ; rampageous, raging, frenzied ; wild-eyed . Also See: discomposed, excited, impatient, tense, unquiet, unsteady. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. 1 throwing oneself from side to side.
Syn. -- tossing [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. physically disturbed or set in motion; as, the agitated mixture foamed and bubbled. Opposite of unagitated and left alone, allowed to stand. [ Narrower terms are: churning, churned-up, roiling, roiled, roily, turbulent ; stirred. ] [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

adv. In an agitated manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. causing or tending to cause anger or resentment.
Syn. -- agitative, provoking. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. agitatio: cf. F. agitation. ] 1. The act of agitating, or the state of being agitated; the state of being moved with violence, or with irregular action; commotion; as, the sea after a storm is in agitation. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A stirring up or arousing; disturbance of tranquillity; disturbance of mind which shows itself by physical excitement; perturbation; as, to cause any one agitation. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Excitement of public feeling by discussion, appeals, etc.; as, the antislavery agitation; labor agitation. “Religious agitations.” Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Examination or consideration of a subject in controversy, or of a plan proposed for adoption; earnest discussion; debate. [ 1913 Webster ]

A logical agitation of the matter. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

The project now in agitation. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Emotion; commotion; excitement; trepidation; tremor; perturbation. See Emotion. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending to agitate. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. [ It., agitated. ] (Mus.) Sung or played in a restless, hurried, and spasmodic manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] 1. One who agitates; one who stirs up or excites others; as, political reformers and agitators. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Eng. Hist.) One of a body of men appointed by the army, in Cromwell's time, to look after their interests; -- called also adjutators. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An implement for shaking or mixing. [ 1913 Webster ]