antagonize

/ænˈtæɡ.ɪ.naɪz/

//ænˈtæɡ.ɪ.naɪz// verb

"antagonize" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“antagonize” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,059. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,059
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To work against; to oppose (especially to incite a reaction).

Corpus desk

Index EN-antagonize · antagonize · English

antagonize · rank #48,059 · 14 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #48,059
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Antalya

Nearest frequency peer: Antalya (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “antagonize”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “antagonize” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

antagonize vs antagonist
80% similar
antagonize vs antagonism
80% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for antagonize
PropertyValue
Headwordantagonize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ænˈtæɡ.ɪ.naɪz/
Letters10
Frequency rank#48,059
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “antagonize” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).antagonizelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Antalya” (#48,060), “anchovy” (#48,057), “anthracite” (#48,061). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around antagonize (IPA /ænˈtæɡ.ɪ.naɪz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #48,059 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To work against; to oppose (especially to incite a reaction).".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for antagonize, with forms such as "anatgonize", "anntagonize", and "antaggonize". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "antagonist", "antagonism", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek ἀνταγωνίζομαι (antagōnízomai), from ἀντι- (anti-) + ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai). The correct English form is antagonize, spelled A-N-T-A-G-O-N-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To work against; to oppose (especially to incite a reaction).

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how antagonize appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The other children constantly antagonized Joe to the point of tears.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀνταγωνίζομαι (antagōnízomai), from ἀντι- (anti-) + ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • anatgonize
  • anntagonize
  • antaggonize
  • antagnoize
  • antagoinze
  • antagoniez
  • antagonizze
  • antagonnize
  • antagonzie
  • antaognize
  • antgaonize
  • anttagonize
  • atnagonize
  • natagonize

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of antagonize - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

anatgonize2anntagonize1antaggonize1antagnoize2antagoinze2antagoniez2antagonizze1antagonnize1
Edit distance from "antagonize"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "antagonize"?
"antagonize" is spelled A-N-T-A-G-O-N-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ænˈtæɡ.ɪ.naɪz/.
What does "antagonize" mean?
As a verb, "antagonize" means: To work against; to oppose (especially to incite a reaction).
What words are commonly confused with "antagonize"?
"antagonize" is commonly confused with "antagonist", "antagonism". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "antagonize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "antagonize" is /ænˈtæɡ.ɪ.naɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "antagonize"?
From Ancient Greek ἀνταγωνίζομαι (antagōnízomai), from ἀντι- (anti-) + ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "antagonize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

What to do next

You've looked up "antagonize". Here's where to go from here.

  • "antagonize" maps to 2 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "antagonist". View pair
  • 14 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #48,059 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "A" letter cohort. A–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list