antagonist

noun

an·tag·o·nist | \ an-ˈta-gə-nist

Essential Meaning of antagonist

: a person who opposes another person He faced his antagonist [=(more commonly) opponent, adversary] in a series of debates.

Full Definition of antagonist

1 : one that contends with or opposes another : adversary, opponent political antagonists

2 : an agent of physiological antagonism: such as

a : a muscle that contracts with and limits the action of an agonist with which it is paired

— called also antagonistic muscle

b : a chemical that acts within the body to reduce the physiological activity of another chemical substance (such as an opiate) especially : one that opposes the action on the nervous system of a drug or a substance occurring naturally in the body by combining with and blocking its nervous receptor — compare agonist sense 2b

Synonyms & Antonyms Did you know? More Example Sentences Learn More About antagonist

Synonyms & Antonyms for antagonist

Synonyms

Antonyms

amigo,
friend

Did you know?

On the stage or screen, in a story or a novel, the protagonist is the main character and the antagonist is the opposing one. Pro- and ant- usually mark the good and bad characters, but not always; there may occasionally be an evil protagonist and a good antagonist. In the drama of the real world, it's especially hard to sort out which is which, so we usually speak of both parties to a conflict as antagonists. During a strike, for example, representatives of labor and management become antagonists; they often manage to antagonize each other, and the antagonism often remains after the strike is over.

Examples of antagonist in a Sentence

They are interested in character first, and in Don, a foul-mouthed psychopath with a hair-trigger temper and buried longings for Gal's wife, they have created a truly scary antagonist. — David Ansen, Newsweek, 18 June 2001 In the 1970s researchers discovered that the actions of estrogen and other hormones can be blocked chemically by drugs called hormone antagonists … — David Plotkin, Atlantic, June 1996 If the new comptroller is a true antagonist of the seamy bond market practices he decried in the campaign, why has he installed as his first deputy the public finance director from the Dinkins administration who was Holtzman's accomplice in each of those deals. — Wayne Barrett, Village Voice, March 1994 As in that film, Kopple not only draws an intimate portrait of the protagonists and antagonists in the strike, but also deftly locates the workers' struggle within a broad context of economic and political forces. — Frank Thompson, Film Comment, January/February 1991 please name the novel's hero and his antagonist his antagonist in the boxing match

Recent Examples on the Web Another antagonist, naltrexone, is used to treat OUD over a longer term. — Yoohyun Jung, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Dec. 2021 Unlike its enemies in Europe and its potential Japanese antagonist in Asia, Britain faced having to fight across two continents and two giant oceans. — Charlie Laderman, WSJ, 7 Jan. 2022 The roster includes Woody, played by Milwaukee actor Dimonte Henning, her primary antagonist on the squad. — Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2022 And spoilers do suggest that the Green Goblin is the film’s main antagonist. — Chris Smith, BGR, 13 Dec. 2021 Park, whose character Sang-woo is Gi-hun’s childhood friend but also an antagonist in a game of survival, says every role had that duality. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2021 Unlike naltrexone, naloxone is an emergency opioid antagonist taken in cases of an opioid overdose, notes the NLM. — Sarah Fielding, Health.com, 19 Nov. 2021 Fast-forward to early November 2021, the premiere delivered another massive confrontation between an impressive group of heroes and an incredibly powerful antagonist. — Chris Smith, BGR, 9 Nov. 2021 Because Henson plays her as funny instead of a ridiculous and unpredictable alcoholic who is sadly humorous, the motivation for the show’s antagonist feels a little toothless. — Kathryn Vanarendonk And Jackson Mchenry, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'antagonist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

24 Jan 2022

Cite this Entry

“Antagonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antagonist. Accessed 25 Jan. 2022.

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More Definitions for antagonist

antagonist

noun

an·tag·o·nist | \ an-ˈta-gə-nəst

Kids Definition of antagonist

: a person who is against something or someone else : opponent

antagonist

noun

an·tag·o·nist | \ -nəst

Medical Definition of antagonist

: an agent that acts in physiological opposition contact between a tooth and its antagonist in the opposing jaw : as

a : a muscle that contracts with and limits the action of an agonist with which it is paired

— called also antagonistic muscle

— compare agonist sense 1, synergist sense 2

b : a chemical that acts within the body to reduce the physiological activity of another chemical substance (as an opiate) especially : one that opposes the action on the nervous system of a drug or a substance occurring naturally in the body by combining with and blocking its nervous receptor — compare agonist sense 2