antagonistic
adjective
an·tag·o·nis·tic
(ˌ)an-ˌta-gə-ˈni-stik 
: showing dislike or opposition : marked by or resulting from antagonism
an antagonistic relationship
factions antagonistic to one another
Examples of antagonistic in a Sentence
They found it impossible to deal with such antagonistic groups.
countries that have been antagonistic towards each other for centuries
Recent Examples on the Web
The satirical series spoofed late-night shows, with Space Ghost often having antagonistic, openly hostile interviews with real, non-animated celebrity guests.
—
James Mercadante, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2025
With President Trump’s fairly antagonistic relationship with (most) electric vehicles and a possible end of tax incentives of EV buyers, the move to release Also into the wild might be timely if the vehicles are manufactured in the U.S. and not affected by tariffs.
—William Roberson, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Seimetz’s Paula acts as an antagonistic force against Agnes, resentful of her presence and wishing for a child of her own.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2025
In the months after the Oct. 7 attack, Netanyahu systematically removed from office antagonistic members of the security and political leadership, accusing them of being responsible either for the Hamas attack or for the mismanagement of the conflict.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonistic
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James Mercadante, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2025
With President Trump’s fairly antagonistic relationship with (most) electric vehicles and a possible end of tax incentives of EV buyers, the move to release Also into the wild might be timely if the vehicles are manufactured in the U.S. and not affected by tariffs.
—William Roberson, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Seimetz’s Paula acts as an antagonistic force against Agnes, resentful of her presence and wishing for a child of her own.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2025
In the months after the Oct. 7 attack, Netanyahu systematically removed from office antagonistic members of the security and political leadership, accusing them of being responsible either for the Hamas attack or for the mismanagement of the conflict.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonistic
Cite this Entry
“Antagonistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antagonistic. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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Medical Definition
antagonistic
adjective
an·tag·o·nis·tic
(ˌ)an-ˌtag-ə-ˈnis-tik
1
: characterized by or resulting from antagonism
antagonistic antibiotics
2
: relating to or being muscles that are antagonists
skeletal muscles arranged in antagonistic pairs
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