Synonyms

antagonize

American

[an-tag-uh-nahyz] / ænˈtæg əˌnaɪz /

especially British, antagonise

verb (used with object)

antagonized, antagonizing

to make hostile or unfriendly; make an enemy or antagonist of.

His speech antagonized many voters.
to act in opposition to; oppose.

verb (used without object)

antagonized, antagonizing

Rare. to act antagonistically.

antagonize British

/ ænˈtæɡəˌnaɪz /

verb

to make hostile; annoy or irritate
to act in opposition to or counteract

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

antagonizable adjective
antagonization noun
reantagonize verb (used with object)
unantagonizable adjective
unantagonized adjective
unantagonizing adjective
unantagonizingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of antagonize

First recorded in 1625–35, antagonize is from the Greek word antagōnízesthai to contend against, dispute with. See ant-, agonize

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.

She needs to maintain her popular tough stance on China without overly antagonizing Japan’s No. 2 customer for exports.

From Barron's

I was not afraid, because Togbe had taught me that most animals only attacked if threatened, and out here I had a chance to meet them without anyone else antagonizing them.

From Literature

Zohran Mamdani, who just swept to victory in the New York City mayoral race, already faces his next big challenge: making the right hires without alienating loyalists or further antagonizing skeptics.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some also contend the deal has unnecessarily antagonized China, Australia’s main trading partner.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023