antagonistic

/ænˌtæɡəˈnɪstɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ænˌtæɡəˈnɪstɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)an-ˌta-gə-ˈni-stik/ (ame, mw)

antagonistic — adjective

  • antagonisticpositive
  • more antagonisticcomparative
  • most antagonisticsuperlative

1. showing open hostility or resistance toward a person, group, or idea

1.形容詞C1
釋義

showing open hostility or resistance toward a person, group, or idea

例句

After the budget meeting, Priya gave the new coach an antagonistic stare.

antagonistic + look showing personal hostility

Several residents grew antagonistic toward the factory after the river turned brown.

grow antagonistic toward + target

同義詞
  • hostile

    is the closest match and often sounds slightly stronger

  • unfriendly

    is weaker and can describe cool behaviour without active conflict

  • combative

    suggests someone is ready to argue or fight openly

  • opposed

    often focuses on disagreeing with a plan rather than personal tension

反義詞

文法句型

be antagonistic to somebody

be antagonistic towards something

an antagonistic tone

grow antagonistic after something happens

用法筆記

Often followed by 'to' or 'towards' when naming the person, group, or idea receiving the hostility. Distinguish from adjective/2, which is a technical use for things that work against each other physically or chemically.

常見錯誤

❌The crowd was antagonistic with the referee.
✅The crowd was antagonistic to the referee.
💡this adjective normally takes 'to' or 'towards' before the target.
❌She felt antagonistic against her sister after dinner.
✅She felt antagonistic towards her sister after dinner.
💡use 'to' or 'towards', not 'against', after 'antagonistic'.

2. describing muscles, drugs, or chemicals that work against one another, so one re

2.形容詞C2
釋義

describing muscles, drugs, or chemicals that work against one another, so one reduces the effect of the other

例句

The scan showed antagonistic muscles pulling the ankle in opposite directions.

technical collocation: antagonistic muscles

Doctors avoided mixing the two antagonistic drugs during the emergency treatment.

technical collocation: antagonistic drugs

同義詞
  • counteractive

    is a close technical word for reducing another effect

  • opposing

    is broader and less technical than this sense

  • inhibitory

    often stresses slowing or blocking a process rather than simple opposition

反義詞
  • synergistic

    describes two things working together to produce a stronger effect

  • complementary

    suggests two actions support each other rather than clash

文法句型

antagonistic muscles

antagonistic drugs

be antagonistic to each other

an antagonistic effect

用法筆記

Mainly technical in medicine, biology, and anatomy. It often appears before nouns such as muscles, drugs, and compounds, or after 'be' in patterns like 'antagonistic to each other'.

常見錯誤

❌These two drugs are antagonistic for each other.
✅These two drugs are antagonistic to each other.
💡this technical sense still uses 'to' for the opposing relationship.