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

---

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

Introducing a surprise antagonist has long been a key ingredient of the WWE recipe, and at this point Brady surfacing is all but expected.

From Los Angeles Times

Veteran video game actor Troy Baker is nominated twice - for his lead performance as Indiana Jones in The Great Circle and for his supporting role as antagonist Higgs in Death Stranding 2.

From BBC

The Prime Video series premiering Wednesday reimagines the fictional detective’s early years as he investigates a murder case that originates at Oxford, where he first meets his eventual antagonist.

From Los Angeles Times

As in normal years, worshippers booed and waved noisemakers each time the story's antagonist, Haman, was announced, before drinking and dancing to pop music despite the unusual setting.

From Barron's

Mr. Ireland sketches the antagonists with vivid details.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• adversary
• enemy
• foe