antagonism
gb/æntˈæɡənˌɪzəm/ us/æntˈæɡənˌɪzəm/
C1
English
ellenségesség, ellenségeskedés, ellentét, szembenállás, antagonizmus
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
antagonism between [people/groups]; antagonism toward(s) [someone/something]
There has always been a certain antagonism between the two departments.
A két osztály között mindig is volt némi ellenségesség.
Her proposal met with open antagonism from several board members.
Javaslatát több igazgatósági tag is nyílt ellenségességgel fogadta.
The policy only deepened public antagonism toward the government.
Learner examples
There was clear antagonism between the two teams.
Egyértelmű ellenségesség volt a két csapat között.
His comments caused antagonism in the office.
A megjegyzései ellenségességet váltottak ki az irodában.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse antagonism with antagonist, which is a person or character who opposes someone. Antagonism is usually uncountable.
Meaning
Hostile opposition or dislike
Collocations
deep antagonism
|mutual antagonism
|long-standing antagonism
|bitter antagonism
|open antagonism
|personal antagonism
|antagonism between groups
|antagonism toward the government
|arouse antagonism
|fuel antagonism
Synonyms
hostility (more direct and often more emotional)
|
animosity (strong personal dislike; often more intense)
|
opposition (broader and less necessarily hostile)
|
enmity (strong and formal, suggesting enemies)
Antonyms
goodwill (friendly or positive feeling instead of hostility)
|
harmony (peaceful relations without conflict)
|
cooperation (working together rather than opposing each other)
Themes
emotions
|conflict
|relationships
|politics
Definition
strong dislike or opposition between people or groups
a feeling or state of active hostility, dislike, or opposition between people, groups, or organizations
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
2
ellentét
B2
szembenállás
C1
Usage pattern:
antagonism between [ideas/interests/forces]; in antagonism to [something]
The novel explores the antagonism between individual freedom and social order.
A regény az egyéni szabadság és a társadalmi rend közötti ellentétet vizsgálja.
Negotiations exposed a basic antagonism between environmental goals and short-term profits.
A tárgyalások feltárták a környezetvédelmi célok és a rövid távú profit közötti alapvető ellentétet.
She rejected the idea that science and religion must stand in antagonism.
Learner examples
The article discusses the antagonism between tradition and change.
A cikk a hagyomány és a változás közötti ellentétet tárgyalja.
Their goals are in antagonism.
Céljaik ellentétben állnak.
Common mistake:
This sense is not mainly about personal anger; it is about conflict or incompatibility between abstract things.
Meaning
Opposition between ideas or forces
Collocations
fundamental antagonism
|apparent antagonism
|ideological antagonism
|social antagonism
|class antagonism
|political antagonism
|antagonism between values
|antagonism between interests
|stand in antagonism
|create antagonism
Synonyms
conflict (more common and general)
|
tension (suggests pressure or strain rather than open opposition)
|
incompatibility (emphasizes that two things cannot work well together)
|
contradiction (suggests logical or direct opposition)
Antonyms
compatibility (ability to exist or work together)
|
alignment (agreement of aims, interests, or positions)
|
complementarity (two things support or complete each other)
Themes
ideas
|conflict
|politics
|social_issues
Definition
opposition between two ideas, aims, or forces
a relationship in which ideas, interests, values, or forces oppose each other or cannot easily exist together
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
3
antagonizmus
C2
Usage pattern:
antagonism of [a receptor/effect]; antagonism between [substances/drugs/organisms]
The drug's antagonism of dopamine receptors can reduce hallucinations but may cause side effects.
A gyógyszer dopaminreceptor-antagonizmusa csökkentheti a hallucinációkat, de mellékhatásokat is okozhat.
Researchers found antagonism between the two antibiotics when they were used together.
A kutatók antagonizmust találtak a két antibiotikum között, amikor együtt alkalmazták őket.
In ecology, microbial antagonism can limit the growth of harmful fungi.
Learner examples
The medicine works through receptor antagonism.
A gyógyszer receptorantagonizmus révén hat.
The two drugs showed antagonism in the study.
A vizsgálatban a két gyógyszer antagonizmust mutatott.
Common mistake:
In medical and biological contexts, antagonism is about blocking or counteracting an effect, not about people being unfriendly.
Meaning
Counteracting biological effect
Collocations
receptor antagonism
|drug antagonism
|competitive antagonism
|pharmacological antagonism
|physiological antagonism
|microbial antagonism
|dopamine antagonism
|opioid antagonism
|antagonism of a receptor
|antagonism between drugs
Synonyms
inhibition (emphasizes reducing or preventing activity)
|
blockade (common in receptor and drug contexts; more specific)
|
counteraction (general term for acting against an effect)
|
interference (suggests one process disrupts another)
Antonyms
synergy (combined effects are stronger together)
|
synergism (technical opposite in pharmacology and biology)
|
agonism (activation of a receptor rather than blocking it)
|
potentiation (increase of another substance's effect)
Themes
medicine
|biology
|pharmacology
|science
Definition
a scientific effect in which one thing blocks or reduces the action of another
the action or relationship by which one substance, drug, organism, or biological process reduces, blocks, or counteracts the effect of another
Grammar
Dictionary form
antagonism
IPA
GB/æntˈæɡənˌɪzəm/
US/æntˈæɡənˌɪzəm/
Syllables & stress
ant - ag - on - ism (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ag)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: antagonism
- Plural: antagonism, antagonisms
Expressions
class antagonism
1/klˈæs æntˈæɡənˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
formal
Conflict between social classes
conflict between rich and poor groups, workers and owners, or other social classes
Examples
- The strike exposed deep class antagonism in the city.
- The book treats class antagonism as a driving force of history.
- Rising inequality can intensify class antagonism.
Learner examples
- The film shows class antagonism between workers and owners.
competitive antagonism
1/kəmpˈɛtɪtɪv æntˈæɡənˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
Competition at same receptor
a drug blocks another substance by competing for the same receptor site
Examples
- In competitive antagonism, two molecules compete for the same binding site.
- The experiment showed competitive antagonism because higher agonist doses restored the response.
- Competitive antagonism at the receptor can often be overcome by increasing the agonist concentration.
in antagonism to
1/ˈɪn æntˈæɡənˌɪzəm tə/
fixed phrase
formal
In active opposition to
opposed to someone or something
Examples
- Many modernist writers worked in antagonism to Victorian moral codes.
- The new policy was developed in antagonism to the previous government's approach.
- His public image stood in antagonism to everything the company wanted to represent.
Learner examples
- His views are in antagonism to mine.
receptor antagonism
1/ɹisˈɛptɚ æntˈæɡənˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
Blocking receptor activation
a drug or substance stops a body receptor from being activated normally
Examples
- Receptor antagonism explains why the medication can block the body's response to histamine.
- The study measured receptor antagonism at several serotonin receptor subtypes.
- Some side effects are linked to receptor antagonism in parts of the brain.
Learner examples
- The medicine works by receptor antagonism.