agitate

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Agitated p. pr. & vb. n. Agitating ] [ L. agitatus, p. p. of agitare to put in motion, fr. agere to move: cf. F. agiter. See Act, Agent. ] 1. To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel. “Winds . . . agitate the air.” Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To move or actuate. [ R. ] Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb; as, he was greatly agitated. [ 1913 Webster ]

The mind of man is agitated by various passions. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To discuss with great earnestness; to debate; as, a controversy hotly agitated. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to contrive busily; to devise; to plot; as, politicians agitate desperate designs. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To move; shake; excite; rouse; disturb; distract; revolve; discuss; debate; canvass. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. troubled emotionally and usually deeply. Opposite of unagitated. agitated parents Narrower terms are: demoniac, demoniacal ; distraught, overwrought; disturbed, jolted, shaken; feverish, hectic; frantic, frenetic, phrenetic, frenzied; psychedelic ; rampageous, raging, frenzied ; wild-eyed . Also See: discomposed, excited, impatient, tense, unquiet, unsteady. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. 1 throwing oneself from side to side.
Syn. -- tossing [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. physically disturbed or set in motion; as, the agitated mixture foamed and bubbled. Opposite of unagitated and left alone, allowed to stand. [ Narrower terms are: churning, churned-up, roiling, roiled, roily, turbulent ; stirred. ] [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]