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antagonist
[ an-tag-uh-nist ]
noun
- a person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another; opponent; adversary.
Synonyms: foe, enemy, contestant
- the adversary of the hero or protagonist of a drama or other literary work:
Iago is the antagonist of Othello.
- Physiology. a muscle that acts in opposition to another. Compare agonist ( def 3 ).
- Dentistry. a tooth in one jaw that articulates during mastication or occlusion with a tooth in the opposing jaw.
- Pharmacology. a drug that counteracts the effects of another drug. Compare agonist ( def 4 ).
antagonist
/ ăn-tăg′ə-nĭst /
- A muscle that opposes the action of another muscle, as by relaxing while the other one contracts, thereby producing smooth, coordinated movement.
- 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.
- Compare agonist
Word History and Origins
Origin of antagonist1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
At the time, the story manifested itself in a “very simple hand-drawn” short film about a cat and its fear of water — a universal narrative that allowed the story to proceed without a traditional antagonist.
The Archangel Michael is the patron saint of police officers, so I wanted to ask Jurado if her pendant was a sly dig at her antagonists.
Rep. Adam B. Schiff, one of Trump’s chief antagonists during his first term, had been swept to victory as the state’s newest senator.
That threat seems much more real with an active divorce antagonist currently seeking the vice presidency, they say, and should it ever become a reality, it stands to disproportionately harm women.
Several wanted to know her thoughts about the two presidential antagonists.
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