antagonist

[an-tag-uh-nist]

noun

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.

antagonist

/ 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

antagonist

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of antagonist¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Late Latin antagōnista, from Greek antagōnistḗs. See antagonize, -ist

Synonym Study

See adversary.

Example Sentences

They now share a common antagonist in the US, which has imposed sanctions on Russia and put sweeping tariffs on its trading partners.

From BBC

I thought that it’s good to be the antagonist as far as having something active to play.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s certainly not hard to root for antagonist Sofia Falcone, who viewers learn was betrayed by her own father and committed to a decade of mental torture in Arkham Asylum.

From Los Angeles Times

Bass’ 2022 mayoral opponent Rick Caruso has been a frequent — and very public — antagonist since the fires, questioning delays and taking other shots at the mayor.

From Los Angeles Times

In the eight years since Miller rose to fame and became an outsized antagonist on the American left, his Santa Monica villain origin story has been exhaustively documented, picked over and reanalyzed.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adversary 
• enemy 
• foe