agonist

[ ag-uh-nist ]

noun

1. a person engaged in a contest, conflict, struggle, etc., especially the protagonist in a literary work.
2. a person who is torn by inner conflict.
3. Physiology. a contracting muscle whose action is opposed by another muscle. Compare antagonist ( def 3 ).
4. Pharmacology. a chemical substance capable of activating a receptor to induce a full or partial pharmacological response. Compare antagonist ( def 5 ).

agonist

/ ˈæɡənɪst /

noun

1. any muscle that is opposed in action by another muscle Compare antagonist
2. a competitor, as in an agon

agonist

/ ăg′ə-nĭst /

1. A muscle that actively contracts to produce a desired movement.
2. A chemical substance, especially a drug, that can combine with a receptor on a cell to produce a physiologic response.
3. Compare antagonist

Word History and Origins

Origin of agonist¹

First recorded in 1620–30; from Late Latin agōnista, from Greek agōnistḗs “contestant,” equivalent to agṓn agon + -istēs -ist

Word History and Origins

Origin of agonist¹

C17: from Greek agōn agon

Example Sentences

Overall, one in eight American adults have used a GLP-1 agonist, per Healthline.

From Salon

Here, an agonist binds to a receptor and stimulates a cell and an antagonist binds to a receptor and prevents stimulation.

From Science Daily

The first so-called GLP-1 receptor agonist was approved in 2005 to treat diabetes, and early versions had to be injected once or twice a day.

From Los Angeles Times

A so-called GLP-1 receptor agonist, similar to the wildly popular drugs Ozempic, for diabetes, and Wegovy, for obesity.

From New York Times

At just 13 years of age, Ervie underwent bariatric surgery and was prescribed Victoza, a GLP-1 agonist that was an early predecessor of today’s most common anti-obesity medications.

From Salon