antagonism
gb/æntˈæɡənˌɪzəm/ us/æntˈæɡənˌɪzəm/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
C1
state
1
Hostile opposition or dislike
strong dislike or opposition between people or groups
Usage pattern:
antagonism between [people/groups]; antagonism toward(s) [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse antagonism with antagonist, which is a person or character who opposes someone. Antagonism is usually uncountable.
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)
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
Themes
emotions
|conflict
|relationships
|politics
Examples
- There has always been a certain antagonism between the two departments.
- Her proposal met with open antagonism from several board members.
- The policy only deepened public antagonism toward the government.
Learner examples
- There was clear antagonism between the two teams.
- His comments caused antagonism in the office.
Noun
formal
C1
relation
2
Opposition between ideas or forces
opposition between two ideas, aims, or forces
Usage pattern:
antagonism between [ideas/interests/forces]; in antagonism to [something]
Common mistake:
This sense is not mainly about personal anger; it is about conflict or incompatibility between abstract things.
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)
Collocations
fundamental antagonism
|apparent antagonism
|ideological antagonism
|social antagonism
|class antagonism
|political antagonism
|antagonism between values
|antagonism between interests
|stand in antagonism
|create antagonism
Themes
ideas
|conflict
|politics
|social_issues
Examples
- The novel explores the antagonism between individual freedom and social order.
- Negotiations exposed a basic antagonism between environmental goals and short-term profits.
- She rejected the idea that science and religion must stand in antagonism.
Learner examples
- The article discusses the antagonism between tradition and change.
- Their goals are in antagonism.
Noun
technical
C2
process
3
Counteracting biological effect
a scientific effect in which one thing blocks or reduces the action of another
Usage pattern:
antagonism of [a receptor/effect]; antagonism between [substances/drugs/organisms]
Common mistake:
In medical and biological contexts, antagonism is about blocking or counteracting an effect, not about people being unfriendly.
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)
Collocations
receptor antagonism
|drug antagonism
|competitive antagonism
|pharmacological antagonism
|physiological antagonism
|microbial antagonism
|dopamine antagonism
|opioid antagonism
|antagonism of a receptor
|antagonism between drugs
Themes
medicine
|biology
|pharmacology
|science
Examples
- The drug's antagonism of dopamine receptors can reduce hallucinations but may cause side effects.
- Researchers found antagonism between the two antibiotics when they were used together.
- In ecology, microbial antagonism can limit the growth of harmful fungi.
Learner examples
- The medicine works through receptor antagonism.
- The two drugs showed antagonism in the study.
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.
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.
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.