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
These were my favorite stories: stories of people and their often antagonistic relationship with forces larger than themselves.
—
Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
The very end of Part Two hints at potentially promising deviation from the books, showing a betrayed-looking Chani abandoning Paul’s army, setting up a potentially more antagonistic relationship between the lovers in Part Three.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024
Kent Schaffer, who worked as a special prosecutor on the case until February and had tried to broker a similar settlement, said insufficient resources and antagonistic witnesses could have hindered the prosecutors’ case.
—Juan Lozano, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2024
In addition to her recurring role on Melrose Place (1992–1999) as antagonistic neurosurgeon Dr. Irene Shulman, Young has guest starred on Bones, This Is Us, and made a brief appearance in the Marvel superhero threequel Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2024
The teen’s death has drawn national attention as activists and trans students blamed the state’s antagonistic policies surrounding transgender students for the tragedy.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
Oliva said the loss of income and antagonistic attitude from the store manager have taken a toll.
—Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
As the interview grows increasingly antagonistic, the CEO secretly grapples with her desire to unleash the technology on the world.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 2 Mar. 2024
In a lesser film, Mary would simply be a side character used to advance Paul and Angus’s journey from antagonistic rivals to unlikely allies.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 24 Nov. 2023
Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
The very end of Part Two hints at potentially promising deviation from the books, showing a betrayed-looking Chani abandoning Paul’s army, setting up a potentially more antagonistic relationship between the lovers in Part Three.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024
Kent Schaffer, who worked as a special prosecutor on the case until February and had tried to broker a similar settlement, said insufficient resources and antagonistic witnesses could have hindered the prosecutors’ case.
—Juan Lozano, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2024
In addition to her recurring role on Melrose Place (1992–1999) as antagonistic neurosurgeon Dr. Irene Shulman, Young has guest starred on Bones, This Is Us, and made a brief appearance in the Marvel superhero threequel Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2024
The teen’s death has drawn national attention as activists and trans students blamed the state’s antagonistic policies surrounding transgender students for the tragedy.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
Oliva said the loss of income and antagonistic attitude from the store manager have taken a toll.
—Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
As the interview grows increasingly antagonistic, the CEO secretly grapples with her desire to unleash the technology on the world.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 2 Mar. 2024
In a lesser film, Mary would simply be a side character used to advance Paul and Angus’s journey from antagonistic rivals to unlikely allies.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 24 Nov. 2023
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 16 Apr. 2024.
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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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