Agitate1. (v. t.) To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel.
2. (v. t.) To move or actuate.
3. (v. t.) To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb; as, he was greatly agitated.
4. (v. t.) To discuss with great earnestness; to debate; as, a controversy hotly agitated.
5. (v. t.) To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to contrive busily; to devise; to plot; as, politicians agitate desperate designs.
Thesaurus Entries
actuate, afflict, air, argue, arouse, assail, attack, beat, beat up, blow the coals, bother, bounce, broach, bug, burden, campaign, canvass, churn, churn up, concern, concuss, consider, convulse, debate, disarrange, discept, discombobulate, discomfit, discomfort, discompose, disconcert, dispute, disquiet, distract, distress, disturb, drive, electrify, embroil, exasperate, excite, fan, fan the flame, feed the fire, ferment, fire, flurry, fluster, flutter, foment, frazzle, fret, fuss, give concern, heat, heat up, impassion, impel, incense, incite, inflame, instigate, irritate, jar, joggle, jolt, jounce, load with care, moot, move, nettle, paddle, peeve, perturb, perturbate, pique, press, promote, provoke, psych, push, put to it, put up to, rally, rattle, rile, ripple, rock, roil, roughen, rouse, ruffle, rumple, set on, shake, shake up, shock, sic on, spook, stagger, stir, stir the embers, stir up, swirl, thrash out, throw, throw into confusion, tickle, trouble, unhinge, unnerve, unsettle, untune, upset, ventilate, whet, whip, whip up, whisk, work up