antagonist

/ænˈtæɡənɪst/
noun
  1. A person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary.
    • In the movie, the hero finally defeated his antagonist in a dramatic final battle.
    • She saw the new manager as her main antagonist in the office.
    • The two politicians were long-time antagonists, always arguing over policy.
  2. A character or force in a story or play that opposes the main character (protagonist).
    • The antagonist in the novel is a mysterious villain who manipulates events from the shadows.
    • The story's antagonist is not a person but a harsh, unforgiving wilderness.
    • In many fairy tales, the antagonist is a wicked witch or an evil stepmother.
  3. A muscle that opposes the action of another muscle (the agonist).
    • The physical therapist explained how the antagonist muscle relaxes to allow movement.
    • When you bend your arm, the biceps contracts while the triceps acts as the antagonist.
    • Stretching helps keep both the agonist and antagonist muscles flexible.
  4. A substance that blocks or inhibits the action of another substance (e.g., a drug or chemical).
    • This medication is a receptor antagonist that prevents certain nerve signals.
    • Scientists developed a new antagonist to counteract the effects of the poison.
    • The drug acts as an antagonist to histamine, reducing allergy symptoms.
Antonyms
What does "antagonist" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean