agitation
noun
ag·i·ta·tion
ˌa-jə-ˈtā-shən 
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
Rose Levy BeranbaumThe technology is based on the controlled agitation of concentrated ore particles with precisely determined amounts of acid.—Corale L. Brierley
Corale L. Brierley2
: 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
Arthur Conan DoyleShe 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
Jane Austen… characterized by prominent agitation, irritability, and delusions …—Oliver Freudenreich et al.
Oliver 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
The Harvard Mental Health Letter3
: 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
Gloria NaylorSynonyms
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
According to Cramer, the wine can either catch the fins or slide over them, resulting in varied levels of agitation.
—Rachel King, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
The disease can be associated with physical aggression, agitation, wandering, verbal harassment and refusal of help with personal hygiene, among other behaviors.
—Cleo Krejci, Journal Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2024
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
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Rachel King, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
The disease can be associated with physical aggression, agitation, wandering, verbal harassment and refusal of help with personal hygiene, among other behaviors.
—Cleo Krejci, Journal Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for agitation
Dictionary Entries Near agitation
Cite this Entry
“Agitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agitation. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
agitation
noun
ag·i·ta·tion
ˌaj-ə-ˈtā-shən
: a state of excessive psychomotor activity accompanied by increased tension and irritability
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