antagonist

See also: Antagonist

English

Etymology

From Latin antagonista, from Ancient Greek ἀνταγωνιστής (antagōnistḗs, “opponent”) (ἀντί (antí, “against”) + ἀγωνιστής (agōnistḗs, “a combatant, pleader, actor”)), from ἀνταγωνίζεσθαι (antagōnízesthai, “antagonize”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ænˈtæɡənɪst/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

antagonist (plural antagonists)

1. An opponent or enemy.
   • Milton

     antagonist of Heaven's Almighty King

   • Hooker

     our antagonists in these controversies

2. One who antagonizes or stirs.
3. (biochemistry) A chemical that binds to a receptor but does not produce a physiological response, blocking the action of agonist chemicals.
   • 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)
4. The main character or force opposing the protagonist in a literary work or drama.
5. (anatomy) A muscle that acts in opposition to another.

   A flexor, which bends a part, is the antagonist of an extensor, which extends it.

Antonyms

• protagonist
• agonist (biochemistry)

Related terms

• agonistes
• antagonise, antagonize

• antagonism
• receptor antagonist

Translations

opponent

• Bengali: প্রতিপক্ষ (prôtipôkkh)
• Catalan: antagonista m, f
• Esperanto: kontraŭulo, kontraŭbatalanto, antagonisto
• Georgian: ანტაგონისტი (anṭagonisṭi), მეტოქე (meṭoke), მოწინააღმდეგე (moc̣inaaɣmdege)
• German: Antagonist (de) m
• Greek: ανταγωνιστής (el) m (antagonistís)
• Hungarian: ellenfél (hu)
• Indonesian: antagonis (id)

• Malay: antagonis, penentang
• Persian: هماورد (fa) (hamāvard), رقیب (fa) (raghib), حریف (fa) (harif)
• Portuguese: antagonista (pt) m f
• Romanian: antagonist (ro) m, oponent (ro) m
• Russian: антагони́ст (ru) m (antagoníst)
• Slovak: antagonista m
• Spanish: antagonista (es) m, f
• Swedish: motståndare (sv)

one who antagonizes

• Greek: ανταγωνιστής (el) m (antagonistís)
• Indonesian: antagonis (id), penentang (id)
• Malay: antagonis, penentang
• Persian: دشمن (fa) (došman), مخالف (fa) (moxālef)

• Portuguese: antagonista (pt) m f
• Russian: антагони́ст (ru) m (antagoníst)
• Spanish: antagonista (es) m, f

chemical

• Catalan: antagonista m
• German: Antagonist (de) m
• Greek: ανταγωνιστής (el) m (antagonistís)

• Hungarian: blokkoló (hu)
• Norwegian: Kjemisk
• Portuguese: antagonista (pt) m

Anagrams

• stagnation