Standard Lemma guide

agitator

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈædʒɪteɪtə/
  • General-American: /ˈædʒɪteɪtɚ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AE1 JH AH0 T EY2 T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who agitates; one who stirs up or excites others, for example political reformers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: instigator; see also Thesaurus:troublemaker

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: agitant, instigator, agitator, bad boy, bad news, bear, beggar, bhoy, blackguard, booger, boot boy, bovver boy, brat, brawler, breedbate, buffoon, bugger, bully, charva, cutup, devil, elf, enfant terrible, firebrand, gadfly, hell-raiser, hood, hoodlum, hool, hoolie, hooligan, hothead, imp, inciter, initiator, jackanapes, joker, jokester, kindle-coal, kindle-fire, knave, lout, makebate, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, miscreant, ne'er-do-well, pixie, pot stirrer, practical joker, prankster, puck, punk, rabble rouser, rakeshame, rantipole, rapscallion, rascal, rogue, roly-poly, rowdy, ruffian, scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, shit disturber, shitmonger, shit-stirrer, tearaway, thug, titivil, tough, troublemaker, undesirable, vandal, wag, wagpastie, wrangler, yob, yobbo

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An implement for shaking or mixing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

One of a body of men appointed by the army, in Oliver Cromwell's time, to look after their interests.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: adjutator

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

one who agitates; a political troublemaker

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fomenter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: troublemaker, trouble maker, troubler, mischief-maker, bad hat

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English agitate Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin -ātor Old French -eorbor. Middle English -our ▲ Latin -torlbor. English -or English agitator From agitate + -or.

Across languages

Translations

49 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: агіта́тар (ahitátar) — one who agitates
  • Belarusian: агіта́тарка (ahitátarka) — one who agitates
  • Bulgarian: агита́тор (agitátor) — one who agitates
  • Bulgarian: агита́торка (agitátorka) — one who agitates
  • Crimean Tatar: agitator — one who agitates
  • Czech: agitátor — one who agitates
  • Esperanto: agitisto — one who agitates
  • Finnish: kiihottaja — one who agitates
  • Finnish: agitaattori — one who agitates
  • French: agitateur — one who agitates
  • French: agitatrice — one who agitates
  • German: Agitator — one who agitates
  • German: Agitatorin — one who agitates
  • Hebrew: סַכְסְכָן (saḥseḥan) — one who agitates
  • Hebrew: תּוֹעַמְלָן (toamlan) — one who agitates
  • Hindi: आंदोलनकारी (āndolankārī) — one who agitates
  • Hindi: आंदोलनकर्ता (āndolankartā) — one who agitates
  • Japanese: 煽り屋 (aoriya) — one who agitates
  • Japanese: 扇動者 (sendōsha) — one who agitates
  • Korean: 선동자 (seondongja) — one who agitates
  • Latin: turbātor — one who agitates
  • Macedonian: агита́тор (agitátor) — one who agitates
  • Macedonian: агита́торка (agitátorka) — one who agitates
  • Polish: agitator — one who agitates
  • Polish: agitatorka — one who agitates
  • Portuguese: agitador — one who agitates
  • Romanian: agitator — one who agitates
  • Russian: агита́тор (agitátor) — one who agitates
  • Slovak: agitátor — one who agitates
  • Slovene: agitator — one who agitates
  • Slovene: agitatorka — one who agitates
  • Spanish: agitador — one who agitates
  • Spanish: agitadora — one who agitates
  • Swahili: mchochezi — one who agitates
  • Swedish: agitator — one who agitates
  • Ukrainian: агіта́тор (ahitátor) — one who agitates
  • Ukrainian: агіта́торка (ahitátorka) — one who agitates
  • Belarusian: ме́шалка (mjéšalka) — implement for shaking or mixing
  • Belarusian: мяша́лка (mjašálka) — implement for shaking or mixing
  • Bulgarian: бърка́чка (bǎrkáčka) — implement for shaking or mixing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 攪拌機 /搅拌机 (jiǎobànjī) — implement for shaking or mixing
  • Czech: míchadlo — implement for shaking or mixing
  • Finnish: sekoitin — implement for shaking or mixing
  • French: agitateur — implement for shaking or mixing
  • Japanese: 攪拌 — implement for shaking or mixing
  • Polish: mieszadło — implement for shaking or mixing
  • Romanian: agitator — implement for shaking or mixing
  • Russian: меша́лка (mešálka) — implement for shaking or mixing
  • Ukrainian: міша́лка (mišálka) — implement for shaking or mixing
Real reading context

agitator in complete knowledge articles

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