antagonist

noun

an·tag·o·nist | \an-ˈta-gə-nist

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

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Synonyms & Antonyms for antagonist

Synonyms

adversary, enemy, foe, hostile, opponent

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

Subsequent administrations expanded this system, appreciating that the United States could strengthen its perch by enabling the progress of former antagonists and longstanding friends alike. — Ali Wyne, The New Republic, "Is America Choosing Decline?," 21 June 2018 Since being featured as Wiebe's antagonist in The King of Kong, Mitchell has been parodied in pop culture and even rode on a giant Donkey Kong machine replica at December's Citrus Bowl parade. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Cheater! Billy Mitchell stripped of scores, banned from premiere scoreboard," 12 Apr. 2018 Gateway is a top priority of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat and top Trump antagonist. — Washington Post, "Chao, lawmakers tangle over Hudson River rail tunnel project," 6 Mar. 2018 But while Sorry to Bother You’s antagonist may be Hammer’s Lift, Riley is less concerned with villains than systems. — Joseph Bien-kahn, WIRED, "Radical As Ever, Boots Riley Takes On the Tech Boom," 4 July 2018 Even in the 2002 primary, when former mayor Anthony A. Williams — a Barry antagonist without a strong base of support east of the river — was running for reelection as an overwhelming favorite, the ward’s turnout was 24 percent. — Peter Jamison, Washington Post, "Are D.C.’s poorest neighborhoods falling off the electoral map?," 29 June 2018 But China is perhaps too distant, both geographically and culturally, to serve as a readily comprehensible antagonist. — Peter Slezkine, The New Republic, "What Happened to the “Free World”?," 22 May 2018 Last week, former Republican House Speaker and (until now) career-long marijuana antagonist John Boehner joined the board of marijuana cultivation company Acreage Holdings. — Sy Mukherjee, Fortune, "Brainstorm Health: Marijuana Health Effects, Biogen Ionis Deal, Google's AI Reach," 20 Apr. 2018 But while Exxon is eager to strengthen its ties to Qatar, the company also wishes to keep options open with Doha’s antagonists. — Sarah Mcfarlane And Bradley Olson, WSJ, "Exxon, Qatar in Talks on U.S. Shale Deal," 11 Apr. 2018

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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Dictionary Entries near antagonist

antagonistic cooperation

antagonistic symbiosis

Statistics for antagonist

Last Updated

25 Oct 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for antagonist

The first known use of antagonist was in 1555

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More Definitions for antagonist

antagonist

noun

English Language Learners Definition of antagonist

: a person who opposes another person

See the full definition for antagonist in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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