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Which word shares a Greek root with antagonist?

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antagonist

American  

[an-tag-uh-nist] / ænˈtæg ə nɪst /

noun

• antagonists
  plural

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.

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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

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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

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Synonym Usage

See adversary.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• antagonists
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of antagonist

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Late Latin antagōnista, from Greek antagōnistḗs. See antagonize, -ist

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

antagonist antagonists

But not everyone would roll their eyes at Michelle, the antagonist of Oreo-gate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

The team found that blocking TRPV4 with the antagonist prevented vanillin from producing these effects.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals says its GLP-1 receptor antagonist, avexitide, met both the primary and secondary endpoints in a late-stage clinical trial.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

With a large ensemble cast, everyone gets their due, including Kurt Russell as late-arriving big agriculture antagonist Dob McCoy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Franklin regarded nature as an antagonist that would inevitably submit to force, good breeding, and Victorian discipline.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

But even if we’re meant to view our woolly antagonists as sheeple, after a fashion, “The Sheep Detectives” culminates on an optimistic note for both the four-legged and the two.

From Salon ● May 17, 2026

Jordan also collaborated with Coogler in 2018 with Black Panther where he played Erik Killmonger, one of the most memorable antagonists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026

Mr. Ireland sketches the antagonists with vivid details.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

Mays and Clemmett are well matched as antagonists, balancing the flamboyant flaws and stubborn humanity of their characters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

The children appeared before her like antagonists who had overcome her, who had ovemowered and sought to drag her into the soul’s slavery for the rest of her days.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

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Related Words

• adversary
• enemy
• foe

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