agitate verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Definition of agitate verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

agitate

verb
 
/ˈædʒɪteɪt/
 
/ˈædʒɪteɪt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they agitate
 
/ˈædʒɪteɪt/
 
/ˈædʒɪteɪt/
he / she / it agitates
 
/ˈædʒɪteɪts/
 
/ˈædʒɪteɪts/
past simple agitated
 
/ˈædʒɪteɪtɪd/
 
/ˈædʒɪteɪtɪd/
past participle agitated
 
/ˈædʒɪteɪtɪd/
 
/ˈædʒɪteɪtɪd/
-ing form agitating
 
/ˈædʒɪteɪtɪŋ/
 
/ˈædʒɪteɪtɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. [intransitive, transitive] to argue strongly for something you want, especially for changes in a law, in social conditions, etc. synonym campaign
    • agitate (for/against something) political groups agitating for social change
    • Some militant groups have been agitating for autonomy for the region.
    • agitate to do something Her family are agitating to have her transferred to a prison in the UK.
    Topics Social issuesc2
  2. [transitive] agitate somebody to make somebody feel angry, anxious or nervous
    • This remark seemed to agitate her guest.
    • Richard felt agitated by a mixture of anger, fear and pleasure.
    Topics Feelingsc1
  3. [transitive] agitate something (specialist) to make something, especially a liquid, move around by mixing or shaking it
    • Agitate the mixture to dissolve the powder.
  4. Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘drive away’): from Latin agitat- ‘agitated, driven’, from agitare, frequentative of agere ‘do, drive’.
See agitate in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee agitate in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
aspiration
noun
 
 
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C1
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