agitated 1 of 2

adjective

ˈa-jə-ˌtā-təd How to pronounce agitated (audio)
Definition of agitatednext
1
as in excited
being in a state of increased activity or agitation all ferry crossings were cancelled because of the agitated waters around the islands

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distraught
feeling overwhelming fear or worry by the time they finally showed up, long after midnight, we'd become so agitated that we never did get to sleep that night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

agitated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of agitate
1
as in stirred
to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly this room could use a ceiling fan to agitate the stuffy air a bit

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy there's no need to agitate the patient about little things

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shook
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements set the washing machine so it will agitate for four minutes before going into the rinse cycle

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in discussed
to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion a question which has been agitated by the legislature time and time again

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 agitated
Adjective
Sometimes, Brun appeared agitated or sweaty at council meetings. — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026 Clancy became agitated, but never fully woke up once given the Narcan, which is typically used to treat heroin or fentanyl overdoes, Constanzo noted. — Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
Verb
Allow room for your items to move freely and to be agitated. — Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2026 His whole frame was agitated by a quick and continual tremor, which his pride strove to quell, even in those circumstances of overwhelming humiliation. — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for agitated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitated
  1. excited
  2. distraught
  3. stirred
  4. alarmed
  5. shook
  6. discussed
  7. heated
  8. worried
Adjective
  • On the opposite sideline, Trimble Tech Head Coach MK Hamilton entered the season with a more experienced roster and was excited about the leadership his veteran players bring.
    — Riley Ledesma, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Atlanta native is excited to carry his dreams and the family name forward.
    — PJ Green August 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of excited
Adjective
  • The Loyola Blakefield graduate and founder of First Team Staffing, an organization centered around staffing professional and temporary workers, was distraught over his sudden inability to consistently drive off the tee.
    — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But today’s Court often divides along stark ideological lines, and the liberals often sound truly distraught in their dissents.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of distraught
Verb
  • An ongoing police investigation in Philadelphia's Olney section has stirred rumors and concerns of a potential serial killer, but some key information is missing before that claim can be correct.
    — Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The debate has stirred deep divisions among the public over whether she should be held criminally responsible for the January 2023 killings.
    — Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of stirred
Verb
  • California Forever has increasingly pitched the Solano Shipyard as part of a broader effort to rebuild the US maritime industry, a priority among both Democrats and Republicans alarmed over its decline.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The world’s most powerful economies are increasingly alarmed by their declining birthrates, and there’s no shortage of theories on why.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Verb
  • The offence that shook baseball in October appeared again, leading the Jays to their second-largest margin of victory this year in an 11-0 win against the Cleveland Guardians.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Several heavy explosions shook Kuhestak, with fireballs that lighted up the night sky, according to security camera recordings carried by the semiofficial news agency Fars.
    — David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of shook
Verb
  • Stuttgart’s Bilal El Khannouss, a No 10, was also discussed, but Fernandez-Pardo was Newcastle’s true focus.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Elsewhere, the war in Ukraine was discussed Monday at a summit in Kyrgyzstan involving the leaders of China, Russia and India.
    — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of discussed
Adjective
  • Witnesses had testified to the heated gang rivalry between the South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru, which were associated with dueling record companies Bad Boy Records and Death Row Records.
    — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Its Elite trim comes standard with features like a head-up display, heated and ventilated front seats and a seven-mode drive system including modes like Trail and Sand.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of heated
Adjective
  • When Republican lawmakers secured cuts to the United States' largest food assistance program last year, Paige Shoemaker DeMio wasn't worried about children going hungry just at home — but at school.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Mattfeld is excellent in what could easily have been a thankless role, playing Ricky with the mien of someone who is always holding it together, years of disappointment and condescension and expectation keeping her eyes worried and jaw tight.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of worried

Browse Nearby Words

agitate
agitated
agitated (for)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Agitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitated. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All