Trivia Time

Which word shares a Greek root with antagonist?

Test Your Knowledge

antagonist

American  

[an-tag-uh-nist] / ænˈtæg ə nɪst /

noun

1. a person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another; opponent; adversary.

   Synonyms:

   foe, enemy, contestant

   Antonyms:

   friend, ally

2. the adversary of the hero or protagonist of a drama or other literary work.

   Iago is the antagonist of Othello.

3. Physiology. a muscle that acts in opposition to another.

4. Dentistry. a tooth in one jaw that articulates during mastication or occlusion with a tooth in the opposing jaw.

5. Pharmacology. a drug that counteracts the effects of another drug.

---

antagonist British  

/ ænˈtæɡənɪst /

noun

1. an opponent or adversary, as in a contest, drama, sporting event, etc

2. any muscle that opposes the action of another Compare agonist

3. a drug that counteracts the effects of another drug Compare synergist

---

antagonist Scientific  

/ ăn-tăg′ə-nĭst /

1. A muscle that opposes the action of another muscle, as by relaxing while the other one contracts, thereby producing smooth, coordinated movement.

2. A chemical substance, such as a drug, that interferes with the physiological action of another substance, especially by combining with and blocking its nerve receptor.

3. Compare agonist

---

Synonym Usage

See adversary.

Etymology

Origin of antagonist

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Late Latin antagōnista, from Greek antagōnistḗs. See antagonize, -ist

Explanation

An antagonist is someone who opposes someone else. In Superman comics, the antagonist is Lex Luthor, evil genius and archenemy of the superhero. The noun antagonist shows up a lot when people are talking about books, plays, or movies to mean "the bad guy," but it can also be used to talk about a real person if she acts against someone else. An antagonist is always in opposition, but she isn't always bad or mean; your opponent on the tennis court, for example, could be called your antagonist, simply because it is her priority to beat you in your tennis game.

Example Sentences

Indie duo Wet Leg, whose debut album is up for this year's Mercury Prize, won best breakthrough; while their fellow Mercury nominees Nova Twins won best track for the defiantly raucous Antagonist.

From BBC • Sep. 28, 2022

“Suicide Squad” presents symptoms of two separate but often concurrent Hollywood diseases: Amorphous Antagonist Syndrome and Snakes on a Plane Disorder.

From Salon • Aug. 3, 2016

Antagonist and postural muscles can be coordinated with the withdrawal, making the connections more complex.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Spitzer Antagonist Advises Ex-Madam’s Campaign By Roger J. Stone Jr. has more than a bit of a thing for .

From New York Times • Apr. 16, 2010

In a letter to William Strahan, Franklin speaks of him as "Honest David Martin,... my principal Antagonist at Chess."

From Benjamin Franklin; Self-Revealed, Volume I (of 2) A Biographical and Critical Study Based Mainly on his own Writings by Bruce, Wiliam Cabell

Related Words

• adversary
• enemy
• foe