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 end of season 2, which saw Lee Jung-jae’s Gi-hun try to stage a rebellion against the macabre games and the antagonistic Front Man, ended in a cliffhanger tragedy, so tension is already high going in for this final round.
—
Lucy Ford, Time, 19 May 2025
That begins our relationship which is initially antagonistic.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 16 May 2025
But while the main character’s mother in that movie was an antagonistic figure, Fatima’s parents are portrayed as kind, not dogmatic or ostentatiously pious.
—Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2025
That is why a second group of Democratic governors, led by JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Tim Walz of Minnesota, has been more publicly antagonistic toward Mr. Trump.
—Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonistic
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Lucy Ford, Time, 19 May 2025
That begins our relationship which is initially antagonistic.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 16 May 2025
But while the main character’s mother in that movie was an antagonistic figure, Fatima’s parents are portrayed as kind, not dogmatic or ostentatiously pious.
—Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2025
That is why a second group of Democratic governors, led by JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Tim Walz of Minnesota, has been more publicly antagonistic toward Mr. Trump.
—Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 12 Apr. 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 22 May. 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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