Meaning

An opponent or enemy..

Definitions by Sense

1. An opponent or enemy.
2. One who antagonizes or stirs.
3. (biochemistry) A chemical that binds to a receptor but does not produce a physiological response, blocking the action of other agonist chemicals, such as endogenous chemical messengers.
4. (authorship) The main character or force opposing the protagonist in a literary work or drama.
5. (anatomy) A muscle that acts in opposition to another.

Example Sentences

our antagonists in these controversies

Antagonist of Heav’ns Almightie King

[H]is eyes vacant—his face haggard—his head drooping, the spectacle of such an antagonist to the vigorous Edward, moved only pity in the few, and ridicule in the many.

2001: The calcium antagonists represent one of the top ten classes of prescription drugs in terms of commercial value, with worldwide sales of nearly $10 billion in 1999. — Leslie Iversen, Drugs: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford 2001, p. 41)

So God forbid I'm seen just as an average human being / I mean, imagine if antagonists lacked any evil scheme

A flexor, which bends a part, is the antagonist of an extensor, which extends it.

Word Forms

• antagonists

Synonyms for antagonist

Antonyms for antagonist

Related Words

When Should You Use Antagonist?

Use antagonist when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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