Agitated

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈæd͡ʒɪteɪtɪd/

Definitions

1. Experiencing or showing signs of worry, stress, or nervous excitement ; physically disturbed or shaken, as a liquid or material that is stirred or churned
2. Feeling restless or disturbed emotionally, often with anxiety or upset ; being in a state of motion caused by external forces, such as waves or stirring
3. Displaying unease or emotional turmoil, marked by nervousness or tension ; undergoing physical movement or mixing, usually involving the shaking or churning of substances

Etymology: The verb "agitate" comes from Latin "agitare," meaning "to put in motion," and it started out as a purely physical idea: shaking, stirring, driving things along. Latin "agitare" was a frequentative form of "agere," "to drive, move, push," so its sense was of repeated, vigorous driving. Middle English picked up the verb in the sense "set in motion," which is still visible when we speak of agitating a liquid before use. The shift to a state of mind came later. Once the verb meant shaking things up, it was natural to apply it to people, so "agitated" came to describe someone whose nerves or feelings had been stirred into restless motion. The emotional sense is the one most people now associate with the word, while the older physical sense survives mainly in chemistry and in the stirring of mixtures.

Synonyms: disturbed, upset, troubled, flustered, perturbed

Antonyms: calm, composed, untroubled, peaceful, relaxed