Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Contending against; acting in opposition; mutually opposing; opposite.
  • noun Something that acts in an antagonistic manner; specifically, a muscle whose action counteracts that of another.
  • In the psychology of visual sensation, complementary: as, blue and yellow are antagonistic colors.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Opposing in combat, combating; contending or acting against.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Contending or acting against; as, antagonistic forces.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective characterized by antagonism or antipathy
  • adjective indicating opposition or resistance
  • adjective incapable of harmonious association
  • adjective arousing animosity or hostility
  • adjective used especially of drugs or muscles that counteract or neutralize each other's effect

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From antagonist +‎ -ic

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Examples

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  • "I kept my eyes down as I went to sit by him, bewildered by the antagonistic stare he'd given me."--Twilight, Stephenie Meyer, pg.23

    October 1, 2010