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Antagonistic
Hostile; showing opposition or acting against others
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Imagine This
Imagine a group of ants that are are agonized because they are driven away from their home by army ants, and they group together to protest (oppose) against the army ants.
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Sounds Like
an-TAG-uh-NIS-tik
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Looks Like
Looks like 'ant' + 'agon' + 'istic'; visually reminiscent of 'antagonist'.
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Remember This
The root idea is opposition or conflict. Antagonistic shares its root with antagonist (a person who opposes the protagonist) and relates to hostile, opposing relationships in literature and psychology.
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Other Forms
Antagonistnoun
Antagonismnoun
Antagonizeverb
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Connect With
antagonist, antagonize, hostility, opposition, adversarial, inimical
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Note
Do not confuse antagonistic with antagonize (verb). Antagonistic is the descriptive form; antagonize means to provoke or irritate. Both derive from the same anti- 'against' concept.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The two rival companies maintained an antagonistic relationship that hindered negotiations.
- Her remarks during the meeting were antagonistic and unproductive.
Synonyms
hostileoppositionaladversarialinimicalconfrontational
Antonyms
friendlycooperativeharmonious
Etymology
From Greek antagonistikos, from anti- 'against' + agon 'contest' (based on agon- 'contest, struggle').
Mnemonic
Mnemonic: anti- (against) + agon (contest) + istic (pertaining to). Remember that someone who is antagonistic is 'against the contest' or opposing it.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.
Adamant
adjectiveRigid in opinion or purpose; not willing to change one's mind or position.
Adept
adjectiveHaving or showing a high level of skill or proficiency; very capable.
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