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.

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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

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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

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Related Words

See adversary.

Etymology

Origin of antagonist

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

Example Sentences

The vampire Remmick is more than just an antagonist with fangs.

From Los Angeles Times

But Messrs. Smith and Delich make for persuasive antagonists, even if one does want to point out, as they wrangle, that there are bigger things around to be concerned about.

From The Wall Street Journal

OpenAI and a nonprofit group that has been among its antagonists said Friday they would set aside competing proposals in California to limit how AI chatbots interact with children and work together on a compromise.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We needed him to be the film’s antagonist before he even opens his mouth.”

From The Wall Street Journal

In the first round, Paul—dressed in a red and yellow homage to antagonist idol Hulk Hogan—threw 11 punches, landing two.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• adversary
• enemy
• foe