antagonist

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“
Frank's revolver had become entangled in his belt in such a manner that he could not draw it, and he now saw how foolhardy he had been, for his antagonist was a man of almost twice his size, and possessed of enormous strength.

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Definitions (12)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. noun One who opposes and contends against another; an adversary.
  2. noun The principal character in opposition to the protagonist or hero of a narrative or drama.
  3. noun Physiology A muscle that counteracts the action of another muscle, the agonist.
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Examples (50)

  • This antagonist is a far cry from some of the (unfortunately) popular versions of such men to be found in callous books like American Psycho or Hannibal. —  F ;SF; - vol 101 issue 01 - July 2001
  • He was the most popular member of the large company, while his antagonist was the most detested; but the love of fair play was such that no one would interfere, no matter how great the need for doing so. —  The Life of Kit Carson
  • In this case, the antagonist was a rather large male, either a father or grandfather, who fancied himself a coach rather than a spectator. —  Soccer Blogs - latest posts
  • It's one of those things where a lot of times finding the antagonist is the most difficult thing.
  • Although the antagonist is a super computer that develops an uncanny ability to think independently, the fault is ultimately human. —  Epinions Recent Content for Home
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Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

adversary ·  opponent ·  foe ·  competitor ·  assailant ·  receptors ·  rival ·  ally ·  warrior ·  fighter ·  admirer ·  champion

Used in the same contextWord Family

antagonist:   antagonists
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (1)

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from Late Latin antagonista, from Greek ἀνταγωνιστής, an opponent, competitor, from ἀνταγωνίζεσθαι, struggle against, antagonize: see antagonize.
 

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/ænˈtægənɪst/
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