antagonistic
Americanadjective
-
acting in opposition; opposing, especially mutually.
-
hostile; unfriendly.
adjective
-
in active opposition
-
mutually opposed
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of antagonistic
First recorded in 1625–35; antagonist + -ic
Explanation
If you're antagonistic, you're hard to get along with. Harmony is not your friend — you prefer hostility and struggle. If you're antagonistic to your little brother, you're always picking on him and giving him a hard time — causing him agony — a word that's buried in antagonistic. Even drugs or chemicals can be antagonistic: if you take a sleeping pill and then follow it with a few cups of espresso, the interaction is likely to be antagonistic. The sleeping pill and the caffeine struggle against each other and you're not likely to get much sleep.
Vocabulary lists containing antagonistic
Opposites Attract
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A Wrinkle in Time
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Divergent
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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.
Last year, I congratulated “60 Minutes” for, without a hint of BS about UFOs and visiting aliens, dealing forthrightly with antagonistic foreign powers operating drones in the U.S. to spy on U.S. military sites.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
"Having a provocative and antagonistic performer is not illegal," he said.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
On the fluffier human-interest side, in the bright light of morning programming, her interviewing style looked more antagonistic than sharp.
From Slate ● May 6, 2026
California must also contend with a federal government antagonistic toward offshore wind.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
The street the children, the fruit vender, the flowers growing there under her eyes, were all part and parcel of an alien world which had suddenly become antagonistic.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
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.
