antagonist

noun
UK: /ænˈtæɡənɪst/
US: /ænˈtæɡənɪst/

  1. A person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary.

    1. He is an antagonist in the play. [ ] [ ]
    2. The main antagonist in the novel creates many problems for the hero. [ ] [ ]

  2. A character in a story or play who opposes the protagonist.

    1. The antagonist wants to stop the hero. [ ] [ ]
    2. Every compelling narrative needs a well-developed antagonist to drive the story forward. [ ] [ ]

  3. Something that opposes or prevents something else from working.

    1. Fear can be an antagonist to success. [ ] [ ]
    2. In this chemical reaction, the inhibitor acts as an antagonist. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

opponent rival adversary foe

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "antagonist" in English means: A person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary., A character in a story or play who opposes the protagonist., Something that opposes or prevents something else from working..

The phonetic transcription of "antagonist" is /ænˈtæɡənɪst/ in British English and /ænˈtæɡənɪst/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "antagonist": opponent, rival, adversary, foe.

Example usage of "antagonist": "He is an antagonist in the play.". More examples on the page.