agitate
/ˈæ.d͡ʒɪ.teɪt/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.64 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To participate in political agitation (sense 3).
Example Sentences
- "He was greatly agitated by the news."
- "to agitate water in a vessel"
- "The wind agitates the sea."
- "It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents — except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."
- "NAMBLA is working to build a coalition of gay, lesbian, progressive and civil liberties groups to agitate against the increasing state attacks on gay men who associate with boys."
- "Your speech at the time a bill for the regency was agitated now lies before me."
Etymology
From Middle English agitat(e) (“set in motion”), borrowed from Latin agitātus, perfect passive participle of agitō (“to put in motion”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), frequentative of agō (“to drive, move, push”), see -tō. Cognate with French agiter. See also act and agent.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *h₂eǵ-, agitat
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈæ.d͡ʒɪ.teɪt/
- British English: /ˈæ.d͡ʒɪ.teɪt/