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)
- An opponent or enemy.
- 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, OCLC 931154958, (please specify the page):
- our antagonists in these controversies
- 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:
- Antagonist of Heav’ns Almightie King
- 1843, Edward Bulwer[-]Lytton, “A King in His City Hopes to Recover His Realm—A Woman in Her Chamber Fears to Forfeit Her Own”, in The Last of the Barons, London; New York, N.Y.: George Routledge and Sons […], OCLC 878649817, book XII (The Battle of Barnet), page 433, column 2:
- [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.
-
- One who antagonizes or stirs.
- (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)
- (authorship) The main character or force opposing the protagonist in a literary work or drama.
- (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)
Derived terms
- antagonistic
- calcantagonist
- radioantagonist
- receptor antagonist
Related terms
- agonistes
- antagonise
- antagonism
- antagonize
Translations
opponent
|
one who antagonizes
|
chemical
|
main character or force opposing the protagonist
|
muscle
|
Anagrams
- stagnation
Danish
Noun
antagonist c (singular definite antagonisten, plural indefinite antagonister)
- (literature) antagonist
Declension
Declension of antagonist
common gender | Singular | Plural | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
nominative | antagonist | antagonisten | antagonister | antagonisterne |
genitive | antagonists | antagonistens | antagonisters | antagonisternes |
Synonyms
- skurk
Further reading
- “antagonist” in Den Danske Ordbog
Romanian
Etymology
From French antagoniste, from Latin antagonista.
Adjective
antagonist m or n (feminine singular antagonistă, masculine plural antagoniști, feminine and neuter plural antagoniste)
- antagonistic
- Synonym: antagonic
Declension
Declension of antagonist
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative | indefinite | antagonist | antagonistă | antagoniști | antagoniste | ||
definite | antagonistul | antagonista | antagoniștii | antagonistele | |||
genitive/ dative | indefinite | antagonist | antagoniste | antagoniști | antagoniste | ||
definite | antagonistului | antagonistei | antagoniștilor | antagonistelor |
Noun
antagonist m (plural antagoniști)
- antagonist
Declension
Declension of antagonist
singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
nominative/accusative | (un) antagonist | antagonistul | (niște) antagoniști | antagoniștii |
genitive/dative | (unui) antagonist | antagonistului | (unor) antagoniști | antagoniștilor |
vocative | antagonistule | antagoniștilor |
Turkish
Etymology
From French antagoniste.
Noun
antagonist (definite accusative antagonisti, plural antagonistler)
- antagonist
Declension
Inflection | ||
---|---|---|
Nominative | antagonist | |
Definite accusative | antagonisti | |
Singular | Plural | |
Nominative | antagonist | antagonistler |
Definite accusative | antagonisti | antagonistleri |
Dative | antagoniste | antagonistlere |
Locative | antagonistte | antagonistlerde |
Ablative | antagonistten | antagonistlerden |
Genitive | antagonistin | antagonistlerin |