agitation.

1. A state of restless nervous or emotional disturbance.

2. Persistent public campaigning or activity intended to bring about political or social change.

3. Physical stirring, shaking, or movement that disturbs a substance.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• visible agitation
• mounting agitation
• a state of agitation

On the page

Her agitation showed in the way she kept rising from the chair.

The unexpected knock increased his agitation.

He tried to hide his agitation by arranging the papers again.

Usage notes

Primary category: fear. Forms: Usually a mass noun; agitations can name distinct disturbances or campaigns. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.