agitate

1. (transitive) To disturb or excite; to perturb or stir up (a person).Examples: "He was greatly agitated by the news."Synonyms: disturb, unsettle, agitate, freak, bother, bring down, discompose, disconcertAntonyms: appease, calm, quietentransitive

2. (transitive) To cause to move with a violent, irregular action; to shake.Examples: "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."Synonyms: move, muddle, roil, shaketransitive

3. (transitive, obsolete) To set in motion; to actuate.Synonyms: activate, animate, excite, trigger, rouse, set offobsoletetransitive

4. (transitive, now rare) To discuss or debate.Examples: "Your speech at the time a bill for the regency was agitated now lies before me."Synonyms: discuss, debate, canvassarchaictransitive

5. (transitive, now rare) To mull over, or think deeply about; to consider, to devise.Examples: "Politicians agitate desperate designs."Synonyms: revolve, ruminate, afterthink, agitate, bethink, call to mind, chew, chew overarchaictransitive