1
as in enemy
one that is hostile toward another
please name the novel's hero and his antagonist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opponent
one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict
his antagonist in the boxing match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples of antagonist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Integrin receptor antagonists attack the integrin protein, preventing inflammatory cells from interacting with tissues in the gut.
—
Phuoc Anh (anne) Nguyen, Pharmd, Ms, Verywell Health, 17 July 2024
That came just a few hours after Mr. Biden, in a different setting, had mixed up the names of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian antagonist, Vladimir Putin.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 12 July 2024
Yes, the movie version of Tiny Tina isn’t just a plucky NPC on the sidelines, and has been reworked as the daughter of the antagonist to use as a MacGuffin.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2024
The setting is the cemetery where the antagonists’ fathers lie buried and where Edemondo is now scheduled to be executed.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for antagonist 
Phuoc Anh (anne) Nguyen, Pharmd, Ms, Verywell Health, 17 July 2024
That came just a few hours after Mr. Biden, in a different setting, had mixed up the names of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian antagonist, Vladimir Putin.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 12 July 2024
Yes, the movie version of Tiny Tina isn’t just a plucky NPC on the sidelines, and has been reworked as the daughter of the antagonist to use as a MacGuffin.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2024
The setting is the cemetery where the antagonists’ fathers lie buried and where Edemondo is now scheduled to be executed.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for antagonist
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antagonist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near antagonist
Cite this Entry
“Antagonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonist. Accessed 10 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share