antagonize

verb an·tag·o·nize \ an-ˈta-gə-ˌnīz \

Definition of antagonize

antagonized; antagonizing

transitive verb

1 :to incur or provoke the hostility of

His criticism antagonized his friends.

2 :to act in opposition to :counteract

The drug is antagonized by methylxanthines, such as caffeine and theophylline …
—Scientific American Medicine

See antagonize defined for English-language learners

See antagonize defined for kids

Examples of antagonize in a Sentence

He didn't mean to antagonize you.
Her comments antagonized many people.

Recent Examples of antagonize from the Web

When Aaron became the leader of a local group with the same mission, the brothers were once again zealous to the point of antagonizing.

— benjamin wallace, Daily Intelligencer, "The Culthopping Twins Who Have Been Evangelicals, Rappers, and Digital Nomads," 12 July 2017
The U.S. has actively supported Kurdish militia to grind down IS in Syria too, but supporting their desire for a state would deeply antagonize Turkey, Iran and Iraq.

— alan murray, Fortune, "CEO Daily: Monday, 10th July," 10 July 2017
Those advocating a hard line within the administration are emboldened by the recent North Korean actions, and the White House is weighing a series of gestures that could antagonize President Xi Jinping’s government.

— justin sink, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Faces the Limits of China Strategy After North Korean Missile Launch," 5 July 2017
Both series had a serious villain problem, a point addressed by Michael Keaton's casting as Adrian Toomes, whose Vulture antagonizes Spidey and serves as one of the most engaging baddies this side of Tom Hiddleston's Loki.

— eder campuzano, OregonLive.com, "'Homecoming' is the best Spider-Man film in 15 years (review)," 29 June 2017
Learning not to antagonize him could be a game-changer.

— carolyn hax, The Seattle Times, "Ways to cope with a nasty Dad who has dementia," 26 June 2017
Learning not to antagonize him could be a game-changer.

— carolyn hax, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Carolyn Hax: Dealing with Dad's dementia and new nasty streak," 25 June 2017
So the trick for Karen Handel was to keep her distance from Trump without antagonizing his supporters.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "6 Takeaways From the Very Special Election in Georgia," 21 June 2017
For today’s Al-Qaeda, there is little profit in antagonizing the West with spectacular terrorist attacks.

— ali soufan, Newsweek, "Hamza bin Laden, Osama’s Son, Is Helping Al-Qaeda Stage a Deadly Comeback," 19 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of antagonize

Greek antagōnizesthai, from anti- + agōnizesthai to struggle, from agōn contest — more at agony

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1742

See Words from the same year

antagonize Synonyms

Synonyms

embitter, empoison, envenom

Related Words

aggravate, anger, enrage, incense, infuriate, madden; alienate, disaffect, disgruntle, estrange, set (against); curdle, sour

Near Antonyms

endear, ingratiate; appease, assuage, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate; sweeten

ANTAGONIZE Defined for English Language Learners

antagonize

verb

Definition of antagonize for English Language Learners

: to cause (someone) to feel hostile or angry : to irritate or upset (someone)

ANTAGONIZE Defined for Kids

antagonize

verb an·tag·o·nize \ an-ˈta-gə-ˌnīz \

Definition of antagonize for Students

antagonized; antagonizing

:to stir up dislike or anger in

The bully antagonizes younger kids.

Medical Dictionary

antagonize

transitive verb an·tag·o·nize

variants: also British antagonise play \an-ˈtag-ə-ˌnīz\

medical Definition of antagonize

antagonized also British antagonised; antagonizing also British antagonising

:to act in antagonism to :counteract

these effects are antagonized by atropine
—Ernest Bueding & Harry Most

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ANTAGONIZE Defined for English Language Learners

antagonize

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antagonize

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antagonize

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