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antagonistic
adjective
an·tag·o·nis·tic
(ˌ)an-ˌta-gə-ˈni-stik
: showing dislike or opposition : marked by or resulting from antagonism
an antagonistic relationship
factions antagonistic to one another
Synonyms
Examples of antagonistic in a Sentence
They found it impossible to deal with such antagonistic groups.
countries that have been antagonistic towards each other for centuries
Recent Examples on the Web
After the News-American folded, Mr. Levine ended up at The Star, a supermarket tabloid whose owner at the time, Rupert Murdoch had positioned it as grittier than People magazine and less antagonistic than The Enquirer.
—Jacob Bernstein, New York Times, 2 June 2024
Playing up on their lovingly antagonistic relationship in April 2018, Jackman tried to record a birthday message for a fan on Twitter, only to be interrupted by Reynolds' Deadpool.
—Alexia Fernández, Peoplemag, 29 May 2024
O'Keefe was found dead outside Brian Albert's home in Canton, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb that's been turned into an antagonistic battleground marred by vicious smear campaigns and clashes between hordes of supporters on both sides.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 28 May 2024
That means engaging in intense and often antagonistic competition with Washington.
—Steve Tsang, TIME, 11 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for antagonistic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antagonistic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
see antagonize
First Known Use
circa 1637, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near antagonistic
Cite this Entry
“Antagonistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antagonistic. Accessed 17 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
Medical Definition
antagonistic
adjective
an·tag·o·nis·tic
(ˌ)an-ˌtag-ə-ˈnis-tik
1
: characterized by or resulting from antagonism
antagonistic antibiotics
2
: relating to or being muscles that are antagonists
skeletal muscles arranged in antagonistic pairs
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