# antagonist

> English word · Noun · IPA /ænˈtæɡənɪst/ · frequency rank #19,012

## Definitions
1. An opponent or enemy.
2. One who antagonizes or stirs.
3. A chemical that binds to a receptor but does not produce a physiological response, blocking the action of other agonist chemicals, such as endogenous chemical messengers.
4. The main character or force opposing the protagonist in a literary work or drama.
5. A muscle that acts in opposition to another.

## Etymology
From Latin antagonista, from Ancient Greek ἀνταγωνιστής (antagōnistḗs, “opponent”) (ἀντί (antí, “against”) + ἀγωνιστής (agōnistḗs, “a combatant, pleader, actor”)), from ἀνταγωνίζομαι (antagōnízomai, “to antagonize”).

## Easily confused with
- **antagonize** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/antagonist-vs-antagonize)
- **antagonistic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/antagonist-vs-antagonistic)
- **antagonism** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/antagonism-vs-antagonist)

## Common misspellings (15)
`anatgonist`, `anntagonist`, `antaggonist`, `antagnoist`, `antagoinst`, `antagonisst`, `antagonistt`, `antagonits`, `antagonnist`, `antagonsit`, `antaognist`, `antgaonist`, `anttagonist`, `atnagonist`, `natagonist`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/antagonist