Meaning & use
antagonist
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A person who actively opposes or fights against someone else.
Grammar: Takes a plural: antagonists; often followed by of or to.
Patterns
- antagonist of someone
- political antagonist
- chief antagonist
The proposal made him an unexpected antagonist of the mayor.
She faced several antagonists during the campaign.
His main antagonist at work blocked every reform.
nouncountable
The character in a story who opposes the protagonist.
Grammar: Takes a plural: antagonists; pairs naturally with protagonist.
Patterns
- the antagonist in a story
- hero and antagonist
- antagonist to the protagonist
The antagonist in the novel wants to control the city.
A good antagonist believes their own cause is right.
The hero and antagonist finally meet at the station.
nouncountablebiologymedical
A muscle or substance that acts against another, reducing or blocking its action.
Grammar: Takes a plural: antagonists; common in biology and medicine.
Patterns
- muscle antagonist
- drug antagonist
- antagonist to a receptor
The biceps and triceps act as antagonists.
An antagonist can block the receptor's response.
The drug works as an antagonist to that hormone.
Word forms
| plural | antagonists |
|---|
Common combinations
- chief antagonist
- Her chief antagonist on the board questioned every budget line.
- political antagonist
- The senator described the lobbyist as a political antagonist.
- muscle antagonist
- The triceps is an antagonist to the biceps.
- drug antagonist
- A drug antagonist may prevent an allergic reaction.
- antagonist in the story
- The antagonist in the story steals the map.
Synonyms and how they differ
- opponent
- The everyday word for someone against you in a contest or debate.
- adversary
- Stronger and more formal, suggesting determined hostility.
- rival
- Competes for the same goal, not always by direct opposition.
- enemy
- Someone hated or attacked; antagonist can be more situational.
Opposites
Word family
- antagonism noun
- Active opposition or hostility.
- antagonistic adjective
- Showing opposition or hostility.
- antagonize verb
- To annoy or provoke someone into opposing you.
- antagonistically adverb
- In a hostile, opposing way.
Commonly confused: antagonist or protagonist?
antagonist vs protagonist
The protagonist is the main character moving the story forward; the antagonist opposes that character.
Practice
In a film, the ______ usually works against the hero's goal.
Choose one answer.
In stories, the antagonist opposes the protagonist or hero. Protagonist would be the tempting opposite role, while author and narrator tell rather than oppose.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “antagonist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.