antagonist

(ăn-tăg'ə-nĭst)
n.

1. One who opposes and contends against another; an adversary.
2. The principal character in opposition to the protagonist or hero of a narrative or drama.
3. Physiology. A muscle that counteracts the action of another muscle, the agonist.
4. Biochemistry. A chemical substance that interferes with the physiological action of another, especially by combining with and blocking its nerve receptor.

antagonistic an·tag'o·nis'tic adj.
antagonistically an·tag'o·nis'ti·cal·ly adv.

View more Health videos

Muscles usually occur as antagonistic pairs. Each antagonist opposes or reverses the action of its partner. For example, the triceps extends or stretches the arm, and the biceps flexes or bends it. An antagonist may also help to regulate the action of its partner by partially contracting. This resists a movement and reduces the risk of damage from an overload. It may slow or stop an action.

It is important when training to use both members of an antagonistic pair of muscles (e.g. both the quads and hamstrings in the leg) because imbalances increase the risk of injury.

noun

One that opposes another in a battle, contest, controversy, or debate: adversary, opponent, opposer, opposition, oppositionist, resister. See resist/yield, support/oppose.

n

Definition: person causing problem
Antonyms: ally, protagonist, supporter

A drug that opposes the action of another drug or natural body chemical. Examples are the oestrogen antagonists.

Previous:	antacids, anidulafungin, angiotensin II inhibitors
Next:	antazoline, anthelmintics, anti-D

antagonist, the most prominent of the characters who oppose the protagonist or hero (ine) in a dramatic or narrative work. The antagonist is often a villain seeking to frustrate a heroine or hero; but in those works in which the protagonist is represented as evil, the antagonist will often be a virtuous or sympathetic character, as Macduff is in Macbeth.

1. A muscle that opposes an agonist (prime mover) for a given movement. Antagonists play a protective role, preventing overstretching of the agonist. They also help to control a movement by slowing or stopping the action of the agonist. The opposing action between agonists and antagonists produces muscle tone.

2. A drug that interacts negatively with receptor sites (for example, at neuromuscular junctions) to inhibit a response in a tissue or organ.

IN BRIEF: An opponent; one who opposes another.

He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves, and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper. — Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

1. anything that antagonizes.
2. any agent, especially a drug or hormone, that reduces the action of another agent, the agonist. Many act at the same receptor as the agonist. Such antagonists may be either surmountable or insurmountable, depending on prevailing conditions. Antagonism may also result from combination with the substance being antagonized (chemical antagonism), or the production of an opposite effect through a different receptor (functional antagonism or physiological antagonism), or as a consequence of competition for the binding site of an intermediate that links receptor activation to the effect observed (indirect antagonism). The term 'functional antagonism' is also used to describe a less well-defined category in which the antagonist interferes with other events that follow receptor activation.
3. a muscle that works in opposition to another (the agonist). See also competitive antagonism, noncompetitive antagonism. Compare agonist, inverse agonist, synergist.

— antagonistic adj.; antagonistically adv.

Previous:	antagonism, ant+, anserine
Next:	antagonize, antanamide, ante+

1. a muscle that counteracts the action of another muscle, its agonist.
2. a drug that binds to a cellular receptor for a hormone, neurotransmitter, or another drug blocking the action of that substance without producing any physiological effect itself.
3. a tooth in one jaw that articulates with one in the other jaw. See also antagonism.

n

1. a drug that counteracts, blocks, or abolishes the action of another drug. n 2. a muscle that acts in opposition to the action of another muscle (for example, flexor vs. extensor). n 3. a tooth in one jaw that occludes with a tooth in the other jaw.

For a list of words related to antagonistic, see:

• Troublesome, Negative, Irresponsible, or Unpleasant

---

See words rhyming with "antagonist."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Antagonist.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - antagonist, modstander

Nederlands (Dutch)
tegenstander, antagonist (anatomie)

Français (French)
n. - antagoniste

Deutsch (German)
n. - Gegner

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ανταγωνιστής, αντίζηλος, αντίπαλος

Italiano (Italian)
antagonista

Português (Portuguese)
n. - antagonista (m) (f), adversário (m)

Русский (Russian)
противник, соперник

Español (Spanish)
n. - antagonista, contrario, adversario, rival

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - motståndare

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
对手, 敌手, 对抗肌, 对立者, 反对者, 对抗药

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 對手, 敵手, 對抗肌, 對立者, 反對者, 對抗藥

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 적대자, 길항근

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 対立者, 敵対者, 競争相手, 拮抗筋

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) خصم, عدو, دوا مقاوم لفعل دوا آخر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮יריב, מתנגד חריף‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.