antagonist
noun
- character of a work actively opposing the protagonist
- muscle that moves part of the body in the opposite direction from another muscle
- class of pharmacological agents, which reduces or diminishes the effect of an agonist on a receptor
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ænˈtæɡənɪst/ / [ɛə̯nˈtæɡənɪst]
noun
Etymology: From Latin antagonista, from Ancient Greek ἀνταγωνιστής (antagōnistḗs, “opponent”) (ἀντί (antí, “against”) + ἀγωνιστής (agōnistḗs, “a combatant, pleader, actor”)), from ἀνταγωνίζομαι (antagōnízomai, “to antagonize”).
- An opponent or enemy.
“our antagonists in these controversies”
“Antagonist of Heav’ns Almightie King”
- One who antagonizes or stirs.
- A chemical that binds to a receptor but does not produce a physiological response, blocking the action of other agonist chemicals, such as endogenous chemical messengers.
“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)”
- The main character or force opposing the protagonist in a literary work or drama.
“So God forbid I'm seen just as an average human being / I mean, imagine if antagonists lacked any evil scheme”
- A muscle that acts in opposition to another.
“A flexor, which bends a part, is the antagonist of an extensor, which extends it.”