agonist
[ ag-uh-nist ]
/ ˈæg ə nɪst /
Save This Word!
noun
a person engaged in a contest, conflict, struggle, etc., especially the protagonist in a literary work.
a person who is torn by inner conflict.
Physiology. a contracting muscle whose action is opposed by another muscle.Compare antagonist (def. 3).
Pharmacology. a chemical substance capable of activating a receptor to induce a full or partial pharmacological response.Compare antagonist (def. 5).
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
Words nearby agonist
agone, gone coon, a, a goner, agonic, agonic line, agonist, agonistic, agonize, agonized, agonizing, agony
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for agonist
Agonist, ag′o-nist, n. one who contends for a prize in public games.
British Dictionary definitions for agonist
agonist
/ (ˈæɡənɪst) /
noun
any muscle that is opposed in action by another muscleCompare antagonist (def. 2)
a competitor, as in an agon
Word Origin for agonist
C17: from Greek agōn agon
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for agonist
agonist
[ ăg′ə-nĭst ]
n.
A contracting muscle that is resisted or counteracted by an antagonistic muscle.
A substance that can combine with a cell receptor to produce a reaction typical for that substance.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for agonist
agonist
[ ăg′ə-nĭst ]
A muscle that actively contracts to produce a desired movement.
A chemical substance, especially a drug, that can combine with a receptor on a cell to produce a physiologic response. Compare antagonist.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.