antagonist
Americannoun
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a person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another; opponent; adversary.
- Synonyms:
- foe, enemy, contestant
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the adversary of the hero or protagonist of a drama or other literary work.
Iago is the antagonist of Othello.
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Physiology. a muscle that acts in opposition to another.
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Dentistry. a tooth in one jaw that articulates during mastication or occlusion with a tooth in the opposing jaw.
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Pharmacology. a drug that counteracts the effects of another drug.
noun
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A muscle that opposes the action of another muscle, as by relaxing while the other one contracts, thereby producing smooth, coordinated movement.
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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.
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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.
Vocabulary lists containing antagonist
Scrooge, Grinch, and Churl: Wonderful Words for Unpleasant People
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Vocabulary about elements of Shakespearean drama
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Narrative Writing, List 3
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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.
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
He star'd around him for a considerable time, snuffing up the Air, and spurning the Ground, without in the least taking notice of his Antagonist.
From Military Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton by Defoe, Daniel
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.
