Antagonists: meaning, definitions and examples
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antagonists
[ anˈtaɡ.ən.ɪst ]
in literature or film
Antagonists are characters who oppose or compete with the protagonist of a story. They are often portrayed as the villain or the enemy of the main character.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- Professor Moriarty is the antagonist in the Sherlock Holmes stories.
- Darth Vader is the antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy.
in medicine
Antagonists are substances that block or inhibit the action of another substance in the body. They are commonly used in pharmacology to counteract the effects of drugs or hormones.
Synonyms
blocker, counteragent, inhibitor
Examples of usage
- Beta-blockers are antagonists that block the effects of adrenaline on the heart.
- Naloxone is an antagonist used to reverse the effects of opioids.
Translations
Translations of the word "antagonists" in other languages:
🇵🇹 antagonistas
🇮🇳 विरोधी
🇩🇪 Antagonisten
🇮🇩 antagonis
🇺🇦 антагоністи
- противники
- опоненти
🇵🇱 antagoniści
🇯🇵 拮抗薬
🇫🇷 antagonistes
🇪🇸 antagonistas
🇹🇷 antagonistler
🇰🇷 길항제
🇸🇦 مضادات
🇨🇿 antagonisté
🇸🇰 antagonisti
🇨🇳 拮抗剂
🇸🇮 antagonisti
🇮🇸 antagonistar
🇰🇿 антагонистар
🇬🇪 ანტაგონისტები
🇦🇿 antagonistlər
🇲🇽 antagonistas
Word origin
The word 'antagonist' has its origins in ancient Greek, where 'antagonistes' referred to a competitor or opponent in a contest. Over time, the term evolved to encompass characters in literature and film who oppose the protagonist. In medicine, the term was adopted to describe substances that counteract the effects of other substances in the body. The concept of antagonism has been a fundamental aspect of storytelling and pharmacology for centuries.
See also: antagonistic, antagonistically.