agitate

About 0.55 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. verb To disturb or excite; to perturb or stir up (a person). .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}

   He was greatly agitated by the news.

2. verb To cause to move with a violent, irregular action; to shake.

   to agitate water in a vessel

3. verb To participate in political agitation (sense 3).
4. verb To set in motion; to actuate.
5. verb To discuss or debate.
6. verb To mull over, or think deeply about; to consider, to devise.

   Politicians agitate desperate designs.

Similar words

commove stir disturb shake up shake stir up foment excite fight push

Often followed by

the for and against in it him her a

Word family

agitated agitatedly agitates agitating