C1 verb Neutral

antagonist

/ænˈtæɡ.ə.naɪz/

To act in opposition to someone or something, or to provoke hostility and anger through specific actions or behavior. It involves intentionally or unintentionally creating an adversary or causing someone to become unfriendly.

Examples

3 of 5
1

Try not to antagonize your little brother while he is trying to finish his homework.

Try not to antagonize your little brother while he is trying to finish his homework.

2

The diplomat was careful not to antagonize the neighboring country during the trade negotiations.

The diplomat was careful not to antagonize the neighboring country during the trade negotiations.

3

Look, I'm not trying to antagonize you, I'm just telling you what actually happened.

Look, I'm not trying to antagonize you, I'm just telling you what actually happened.

Word Family

Noun
antagonism
Verb
antagonize
Adverb
antagonistically
Adjective
antagonistic
Related
antagonist
💡

Memory Tip

Think of the prefix 'Ant-' (against) and 'Agon' (struggle, as in agony). To antagonize is to cause a struggle against someone.

Quick Quiz

The CEO was careful not to ________ the board members before the final vote on the budget.

Correct!

The correct answer is: antagonize

Examples

1

Try not to antagonize your little brother while he is trying to finish his homework.

everyday

Try not to antagonize your little brother while he is trying to finish his homework.

2

The diplomat was careful not to antagonize the neighboring country during the trade negotiations.

formal

The diplomat was careful not to antagonize the neighboring country during the trade negotiations.

3

Look, I'm not trying to antagonize you, I'm just telling you what actually happened.

informal

Look, I'm not trying to antagonize you, I'm just telling you what actually happened.

4

In biochemistry, certain substances can antagonize the effects of specific hormones within the cellular structure.

academic

In biochemistry, certain substances can antagonize the effects of specific hormones within the cellular structure.

5

Changing the contract terms at this stage might antagonize our stakeholders and delay the merger.

business

Changing the contract terms at this stage might antagonize our stakeholders and delay the merger.

Word Family

Noun
antagonism
Verb
antagonize
Adverb
antagonistically
Adjective
antagonistic
Related
antagonist

Common Collocations

deliberately antagonize deliberately antagonize
risk antagonizing risk antagonizing
antagonize the audience antagonize the audience
tendency to antagonize tendency to antagonize
antagonize a rival antagonize a rival

Common Phrases

antagonize the situation

to make a tense situation worse by being provocative

unnecessarily antagonize

to cause trouble or anger without a good reason

poke the bear

an idiom meaning to deliberately antagonize someone powerful

Often Confused With

antagonist vs agitate

Agitate means to stir up or disturb generally, while antagonize specifically focuses on making a person hostile toward you.

antagonist vs aggravate

Aggravate means to make a problem or injury worse, whereas antagonize refers to upsetting a person.

📝

Usage Notes

Use this verb when describing actions that turn someone into an enemy or create a defensive, angry reaction. In medical or scientific contexts, it can also mean to counteract or neutralize the effect of a drug or substance.

⚠️

Common Mistakes

Learners often use the noun 'antagonist' when they mean the verb 'antagonize' (e.g., saying 'He tried to antagonist me' instead of 'He tried to antagonize me').

💡

Memory Tip

Think of the prefix 'Ant-' (against) and 'Agon' (struggle, as in agony). To antagonize is to cause a struggle against someone.

📖

Word Origin

From the Greek 'antagōnizesthai', meaning to struggle against or to prove a rival.

Grammar Patterns

transitive verb (requires an object) regular verb conjugation: antagonized, antagonizing often followed by a direct object representing a person or group

Quick Quiz

The CEO was careful not to ________ the board members before the final vote on the budget.

Correct!

The correct answer is: antagonize

Related Words

trivacation

C1

Relating to or characterized by a holiday structure divided into three distinct segments or taken three times within a single year. It is frequently used in travel planning to describe a multi-destination trip or in corporate settings regarding staggered leave policies.

angeoion

C1

Pertaining to or functioning as a vessel or receptacle, particularly within botanical or biological systems to describe structures that enclose seeds, spores, or fluids. It denotes a protective or containing quality within the organism's morphology.

comforthood

C1

To actively cultivate or provide a state of deep emotional security and familiar ease for oneself or others. It describes the intentional process of shielding an environment or a person from external stressors to ensure a lasting sense of peace.

exphobant

C1

Describing something that tends to expel, drive away, or counteract fear and phobias. It is typically used in clinical, psychological, or specialized contexts to refer to agents or environments that alleviate anxiety.

syngraphious

C1

Describing a legal document or contract that is signed by all parties involved, rather than just one. It implies a mutual obligation where multiple copies are often produced and distributed to each signatory.

antecivence

C1

The state or quality of preceding in time, rank, or logical order. It refers to the condition of being prior to something else, often implying a sense of priority or historical precedence.

biscicy

C1

To divide a concept, object, or group into two distinct and often opposing branches to facilitate precise analysis or categorization. It is primarily used in technical or academic contexts to describe the act of bifurcating a process for efficiency or clarity.

malmanency

C1

The state of being poorly or improperly maintained, or a condition of persistent mismanagement that leads to deterioration. It typically refers to systems, structures, or administrative processes that suffer from long-term neglect or faulty upkeep.

misalicide

C1

To intentionally suppress, destroy, or 'kill' a message or written communication before it reaches its intended recipient. This term is often used in specialized vocabulary contexts to describe the interception and termination of correspondence.

ultracedment

C1

Ultracedment refers to the extreme or excessive act of yielding, conceding, or surrendering one's position or rights, typically far beyond what is considered reasonable in a negotiation. It describes a state of absolute capitulation where one party abandons almost all demands to satisfy another.

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