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Antagonist

/ænˈtæɡənɪst/

An opponent or enemy.

Full Dictionary Entry

📖 Definitions of "Antagonist"

noun

1
An opponent or enemy.
2
One who antagonizes or stirs.
3
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
(authorship) The main character or force opposing the protagonist in a literary work or drama.

🔄 Synonyms of "Antagonist"

2 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.

Word	Definition
opponentnoun	One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something.
adversarynoun	An opponent or rival.

💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Antagonist"

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

Word	Definition
adversarynoun	An opponent or rival.
opponentnoun	One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something.
adversarial	Characteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary; combative, hostile, opposed.
antagonistic	Contending or acting against.
foenoun	An enemy.
conflicting	Being in opposition; contrary; contradictory.
opposing	That opposes or oppose; on the opposite side.
confrontational	Pertaining to a confrontation; characterized by, or given to initiating hostile encounter; in-your-face.
phentolaminenoun	(pharmacology) A synthetic compound used as a vasodilator, especially in certain cases of hypertension.
saralasinnoun	An angiotensin II analogue, a competitive inhibitor of angiotensin II.
propranololnoun	(pharmacology) A synthetic compound which acts as a beta blocker and is used mainly in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia.
prazosinnoun	(pharmacology) An alpha-blocker used chiefly as a smooth muscle relaxant, especially in the treatment of hypertension and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
bicucullinenoun	(biochemistry) A light-sensitive competitive antagonist of GABA receptors; it is used in the study of epilepsy
cimetidinenoun	(pharmacology) A histamine H₂-receptor antagonist that inhibits the production of acid in the stomach, mainly used to treat heartburn and peptic ulcers, but notorious for causing male impotence. It is a histamine analog, a sulfur-containing derivative of imidazole.
yohimbinenoun	(organic chemistry, pharmacology) A toxic crystalline compound obtained from the bark of the yohimbe tree, used as an adrenergic blocking agent and also as an aphrodisiac in the treatment of impotence.
rivalnoun	A competitor (person, team, company, etc.) with the same goal as another, or striving to attain the same thing. Defeating a rival may be a primary or necessary goal of a competitor.
enemynoun	Someone who is hostile to, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of, or intends injury to someone else.
combatantnoun	A person engaged in combat, often armed.
objectornoun	A person who objects to something.
resisternoun	Alternative form of resistor (“one who resists”) [One who resists, especially a person who fights against an occupying army.]