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Agitate vs Impel - What's the difference?

agitate | impel | Related terms |

Agitate is a related term of impel.


As verbs the difference between agitate and impel

is that agitate is to move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel while impel is to urge a person; to press on; to incite to action or motion via intrinsic motivation (contrast with propel, to compel or drive extrinsically).

agitate

English

(Webster 1913)

Verb

(agitat)
  • To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel.
  • ``Winds . . . agitate the air.'' --Cowper.
  • (rare) To move or actuate.
  • :(Thomson)
  • To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb; as, he was greatly agitated.
  • The mind of man is agitated by various passions. --Johnson.
  • To discuss with great earnestness; to debate; as, a controversy hotly agitated.
  • :(Boyle)
  • To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to contrive busily; to devise; to plot; as, politicians agitate desperate designs.
  • Synonyms

    * move, shake, excite, rouse, disturb, distract, revolve, discuss, debate, canvass

    impel

    English

    Verb

    (impell)
  • To urge a person; to press on; to incite to action or motion via intrinsic motivation (contrast with propel, to compel or drive extrinsically).
  • * , title=The Mirror and the Lamp
  • , chapter=2 citation , passage=She was a fat, round little woman, richly apparelled in velvet and lace, […]; and the way she laughed, cackling like a hen, the way she talked to the waiters and the maid, […]—all these unexpected phenomena impelled one to hysterical mirth, and made one class her with such immortally ludicrous types as Ally Sloper, the Widow Twankey, or Miss Moucher.}}
  • To drive forward; to propel an object.
  • Synonyms

    * (to drive forward) propel

    Antonyms

    * expel

    References

    * *