Meaning & use

antagonistic

adjective·Academic

Showing open hostility or opposition toward someone or something.

See it in a sentence

The two rival companies have had an antagonistic relationship for over a decade.

His antagonistic tone during the meeting made the negotiations even harder.

A note on using this word

In medicine, "antagonistic" describes a drug or muscle that counteracts another's effect, a specialized, non-hostile use.

Words with a similar meaning

hostileadversarialcombative

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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