antagonist
/ænˈtæɡənɪst/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.32 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
One who antagonizes or stirs.
noun
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.
noun
The main character or force opposing the protagonist in a literary work or drama.
noun
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."
Etymology
From Latin antagonista, from Ancient Greek ἀνταγωνιστής (antagōnistḗs, “opponent”) (ἀντί (antí, “against”) + ἀγωνιστής (agōnistḗs, “a combatant, pleader, actor”)), from ἀνταγωνίζομαι (antagōnízomai, “to antagonize”).
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *h₂eǵ-, antagonista, ἀνταγωνιστής
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ænˈtæɡənɪst/
- British English: /ænˈtæɡənɪst/