antagonist
main opponent in a story
The most important character in a story or movie who fights against the hero and creates problems for them.
[someone] is the antagonist in [a story/film]
- In the novel, the true antagonist is not a person but a powerful corporation that controls the city.
- The film’s antagonist starts as the hero’s best friend, then slowly turns against him.
- Critics praised the antagonist for being complex and morally ambiguous rather than a simple bad guy.
- The director explained that the monster is only a symbolic antagonist representing the main character’s fear.
- By the final season, the former mentor has clearly become the show’s primary antagonist.
- In this movie, the king is the main antagonist.
- The antagonist makes many problems for the hero.
- The story is boring because the antagonist is not very strong.
- The audience feels sorry for the antagonist at the end.
- The hero and the antagonist fight in the last scene.
active real-world opponent
A person or group who strongly fights against someone or something in real life, not in a story.
[someone] is an antagonist of [someone/something]
- Over the years, the senator turned many of his early allies into vocal antagonists.
- The movement’s main antagonist was a powerful business lobby that opposed any new regulations.
- She saw the media not as a partner in democracy but as an antagonist to be constantly attacked.
- Labor leaders warned that treating workers as antagonists would only deepen the conflict.
- Historically, the two countries have been regional antagonists competing for influence and resources.
- The company faced many antagonists when it tried to build the new factory.
- He became an antagonist of the plan after he lost his job.
- The mayor called her biggest political antagonist to make peace.
- These groups are not friends; they are old antagonists.
- The new law has many supporters but also strong antagonists.
drug that blocks receptor action
In medicine, a drug that attaches to a cell’s receptor and stops another chemical or drug from working normally.
[a drug] is an antagonist of [a receptor]
- The new drug acts as a selective serotonin antagonist with few side effects.
- Beta-adrenergic antagonists are often prescribed to manage high blood pressure.
- Because it is a competitive antagonist, higher doses of the agonist can overcome its blocking effect.
- The researchers compared the effects of an opioid agonist and its corresponding antagonist in animal models.
- Histamine receptor antagonists are widely used to treat allergies and stomach acid problems.
- This medicine is an antagonist that blocks pain signals in the brain.
- Doctors gave him an antagonist to stop the effects of the drug.
- An antagonist can sit on a receptor and keep other chemicals out.
- Some heart medicines are called antagonists because they block certain signals.
- The scientist tested how strong the new antagonist was at the receptor.
muscle that opposes another
In the body, a muscle that does the opposite movement of another muscle at the same joint.
[a muscle] is the antagonist to [another muscle]
- During elbow flexion, the biceps brachii acts as the agonist and the triceps brachii as the antagonist.
- Proper strength training should work both the prime mover and its antagonist muscle to prevent injury.
- In this exercise, the quadriceps are the agonists and the hamstrings function as the antagonists.
- When the agonist contracts, the antagonist must relax to allow smooth movement at the joint.
- Imbalance between an agonist and its antagonist can lead to poor posture and joint pain.
- When you bend your arm, one muscle is the agonist and the other is the antagonist.
- The therapist showed me which muscle is the antagonist for this movement.
- We trained the antagonist muscle to keep the joint safe.
- If the antagonist is too tight, you cannot move well.
- Every main muscle has an antagonist that does the opposite action.
- Base: antagonist
- Plural: antagonists
antagonist muscle
1muscle that opposes another muscle
A muscle that makes the opposite movement of another muscle at the same joint.
- Stretching the antagonist muscle after lifting can help reduce soreness.
- Trainers often design workouts that balance the agonist muscle and the antagonist muscle.
- Weakness in the antagonist muscle can cause the joint to move in an unhealthy way.
main antagonist
1primary opposing character in story
The most important character who fights against the hero in a story, show, or movie.
- The main antagonist doesn’t appear until halfway through the film.
- In this series, the main antagonist changes every season as new threats arrive.
- Although he is the main antagonist, many viewers still sympathize with his motives.
protagonist and antagonist
1hero and opposing character together
The main character in a story and the main character who fights against that person.
- In this play, the line between protagonist and antagonist is deliberately blurred.
- The writing workshop focused on building strong conflicts between the protagonist and antagonist.
- Students had to describe the relationship between the protagonist and antagonist in the novel.
protagonist and antagonist
1main character and opponent
the main character and the one who fights them
- The film blurs the line between protagonist and antagonist.
- Good thrillers build tension by giving both the protagonist and antagonist strong motives.
receptor antagonist
1substance that blocks a receptor
A chemical or drug that sits on a certain receptor in the body and stops that receptor from working normally.
- This medication is a receptor antagonist that reduces the effect of adrenaline on the heart.
- Researchers developed a new receptor antagonist to block the virus from entering cells.
- As a receptor antagonist, the compound prevents the natural hormone from triggering its usual response.