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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

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

antagonist antagonists

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

Local fisherman Wyck Crawford, played by a delightfully rascally Stephen Root, serves as Loftis’ human antagonist, warning the mayor of impending doom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Meanwhile, the cruel antagonist Antinous has his eyes fixed on the queen while her husband is still away.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

He liked that there was a new protagonist in the same world and that the previous protagonist was now the antagonist.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

O’Donnell has been one of Trump’s most persistent celebrity antagonists since.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

But the reverse is also true, and former antagonists can be rehabilitated, welcomed once again into the president's good graces.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

And he had a running feud with Earl Weaver since the two, an unmoored umpire and a fiery manager, were antagonists in the Double-A Eastern League.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026

The analysis focused on three drugs classified as GLP-1 receptor antagonists.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026

Dropping his books, Ben turned to face the four antagonists who now bore down on him.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• adversary
• enemy
• foe