Brian Cazeneuve
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Judging by its spelling and meaning, you might think that agita is simply a shortened version of agitation, but that's not the case. Both agitation and the verb it comes from, agitate, derive from Latin agere, meaning "to drive." Agita, which first appeared in American English in the mid-late 20th century, comes from a dialectical pronunciation of the Italian word acido, meaning "heartburn" or "acid," from Latin acidus. (Agita is also occasionally used in English with the meaning "heartburn.") For a while the word's usage was limited to New York City and surrounding regions, but the word became more widespread in the mid-1990s.
Examples of agita in a Sentence
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Critical to that environment is transparent, authentic and consistent leadership to neutralize the agita felt from external forces at play and cultivate internal unity.
—Stacey Zolt Hara, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
The agita feels warranted, especially when the owners appear unmoved by public opinion.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
That’s the truth, agita-inducing or not.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for agita
Cite this Entry
“Agita.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agita. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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