agitation
/adʒɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n
/noun [mass noun]
1A state of anxiety or nervous excitement: she was wringing her hands in agitation...
- As with all natives of this combination, the Aries / Virgo may suffer from nervous anxiety, agitation, and stress.
- Corydalis is a European sedative herb that addresses insomnia that stems from nervousness, agitation, depression or anxiety.
- ‘Tooker's anxiety and agitation spun out of control in the weeks preceding his death,’ she recalls.
Synonyms
anxiety, perturbation, disquiet, distress, concern, trouble, alarm, worry, upset;
nervous excitement
rare disconcertment
2Brisk stirring or disturbance of a liquid: the techniques mostly involve agitation by stirring...
- The strains were grown at 30° on agar plates or in liquid culture with agitation.
- Dangerous concentrations can be released by agitation of stored liquid manure.
- It is governed by temperature, contact between the solids and liquid and the degree of agitation, time, and by the composition of the extracting liquid, in this case the grape juice as it becomes wine.
Synonyms
stirring, whisking, beating, churning, shaking, turbulence, tossing, blending, whipping, folding, rolling, jolting
3The arousing of public concern about an issue and pressing for action on it: widespread agitation for social reform...
- If there's some agitation on the issue, on the sidelines, that's fine.
- The media's apparent agitation on risky issues is part of their democratic function.
- He would in fact have been hard-pressed to discuss postwar monetary and foreign policy or domestic issues such as labor agitation and demobilization.
Synonyms
campaigning, striving, battling, fighting, struggling, crusading;
arguing, argument, wrangling, debate, discussion;
rabble-rousing, provocation, stirring up, commotion
3.1 [count noun] Indian A public demonstration.The march was to protest the alleged excesses of the City Police Commissioner against demonstrators during their recent agitation....
- Ito Sumardi said that five people from Jakarta had entered Surabaya in order to carry out agitation and encourage demonstrations.
- The authorities should mind the situation seriously; otherwise they would invite public agitation.
Origin
Mid 16th century (in the sense 'action, being active'): from Latin agitatio(n-), from the verb agitare (see agitate).