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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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 7
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ACT Vocabulary List
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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.
The plan could result in putting more U.S. troops closer to the Russian border, an outcome likely to antagonize Moscow.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Which prompts the question: Why would companies that in theory couldn’t afford to antagonize their customers take this tack anyway?
From Slate • Aug. 4, 2025
“When we are fighting for our survival, we can’t afford to antagonize either Biden or Trump,” Mr. Merezhko said.
From New York Times • Apr. 19, 2024
De León “continues to criminalize our unhoused neighbors and antagonize certain groups that are providing necessary support,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2024
They conducted their duties humbly and reticently, with a minimum of fuss, and went to great lengths not to antagonize anyone.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
