agitate
/'ædʤiteit/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To disturb or excite emotionally; to cause anxiety or nervousness: "Agitate" can mean to make someone feel troubled, anxious, or emotionally unsettled.
- To stir or shake a liquid or mixture physically: In a physical sense, "agitate" means to move or stir something, especially a liquid, briskly.
- To campaign or argue strongly for or against a social or political change: "Agitate" also means to try to stir up public feeling or action in support of a cause.
Examples of Usage
- Verb (Emotional Disturbance):
- The bad news agitated the entire community.
- Try not to agitate the patient by discussing stressful topics.
- Verb (Physical Stirring):
- Agitate the bottle well before using the medicine.
- The washing machine agitates the clothes to clean them.
- Verb (Campaigning):
- The group continued to agitate for prison reform.
- Workers agitated against the unfair new policies.
Advanced Usage
- "to agitate against": to campaign or stir up opposition to something.
- The activists agitated against the construction of the new dam.
- "to agitate for": to campaign actively in support of something.
- They are agitating for better safety standards in the factory.
Variants and Related Words
- Agitated (adj): feeling or appearing troubled or nervous.
- She sounded very agitated on the phone.
- Agitation (n): a state of anxiety or nervous excitement; the act of stirring something; public campaigning to bring about political or social change.
- He was in a state of great agitation.
- The agitation of the solution is necessary for the reaction.
- Years of public agitation led to the law being changed.
Synonyms
- Disturb: to interrupt the quiet, rest, or peace of.
- Stir: to move, especially slightly or lightly; to rouse to activity.
- Campaign: to work in an organized and active way toward a goal.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Agitate for: (as defined in Advanced Usage) to actively support a cause.
- Agitate against: (as defined in Advanced Usage) to actively oppose a cause.
Related Idioms
- To stir up a hornet's nest: to cause a lot of trouble or anger, similar to the effect of agitating people on a controversial issue.
- His comments about the policy really stirred up a hornet's nest.
Verb
- change the arrangement or position of
- move or cause to move back and forth
- The chemist shook the flask vigorously
- My hands were shaking
- move very slightly
- He shifted in his seat
- exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for
- The liberal party pushed for reforms
- She is crusading for women's rights
- The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate
- cause to be agitated, excited, or roused
- The speaker charged up the crowd with his inflammatory remarks
- try to stir up public opinion