🇯🇵Japanese Source WordCode: JA

敵対者

Pronunciation / Transliteration: tekitaisha

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Antagonist/ænˈtæɡ.ə.nɪst/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #8500 frequency
Full Thesaurus
🇯🇵 Example Sentence in Japanese:

"物語の中で、主人公はその敵対者と戦う。"

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

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

    "In the novel, the charming detective finally confronts his long-time antagonist."
  2. 2

    A muscle whose action opposes that of another muscle, or a substance that interferes with or inhibits the physiological action of another.

    "Insulin acts as a physiological antagonist to glucagon in regulating blood sugar levels."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Greek word 'antagonistes', meaning 'competitor, opponent, or rival', formed from anti- ('against') and agonizesthai ('to contend for a prize'). It entered the English language in the early 17th century originally denoting an adversary in a struggle or combat, later expanding to include literary villains and physiological muscle counterparts.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Antagonist"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Antagonist"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Antagonist" Synonym Map