antagonize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make hostile or unfriendly; make an enemy or antagonist of.
His speech antagonized many voters.
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to act in opposition to; oppose.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to make hostile; annoy or irritate
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to act in opposition to or counteract
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of antagonize
First recorded in 1625–35, antagonize is from the Greek word antagōnízesthai to contend against, dispute with. See ant-, agonize
Explanation
To antagonize is to provoke someone to react angrily. If your mother tells you to stop antagonizing your brother, she's asking you to stop making him mad. Antagonize shares the same Greek roots with the word agony, so think about how much agony you cause your siblings when you tease and goad them into getting angry. Bugs Bunny is known to antagonize Elmer Fudd, who hunts but never does catch that wabbit. Actually Bugs antagonizes every cartoon character he comes into contact with! In English class, you'll often be asked to name the antagonist of a story or novel, the character who provokes the main character to act.
Vocabulary lists containing antagonize
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
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ACT Vocabulary List
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 7
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Antagonize the artists, and it may seem as though the world’s turning in 2017 will, in fact, be back to the late 1960s and early 1970s.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2017
Don’t Antagonize Those Who Could Help Paul Butler, Law professor and former prosecutor As a victim of racial profiling, I understand the anger it breeds.
From New York Times • Jul. 18, 2012
Antagonize, oppose.—To antagonize means properly "to struggle against," "to oppose actively," or "to counteract."
From Practical Exercises in English by Buehler, Huber Gray
Antagonize, Alienate, Oppose The word antagonize should not be used in the sense of alienate; as, "Your proposition will antagonize many supporters of the measure."
From Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking by Bechtel, John Hendricks
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
