antagonistic

adjective

(ˌ)an-ˌta-gə-ˈni-stik How to pronounce antagonistic (audio)
Definition of antagonisticnext
as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will countries that have been antagonistic towards each other for centuries

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of antagonistic African-American architecture is usually in environments antagonistic to their existence or contributions. — Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Aug. 2026 The long-time TV veteran maintained a recurring part as dominatrix Lady Heather in six episodes of CSI from 2001 to 2011 and later booked another meaty antagonistic role on Nikita. — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026 The continued division of Korea into two antagonistic states underscores the limits of land power. — David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Trump has been antagonistic toward Canada since being reelected to the presidency in 2023. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for antagonistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonistic
  1. hostile
  2. negative
Adjective
  • Kuwait's army said its air defence systems were targeting hostile missile and drone attacks.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Some recent laws, including the Safer Skies Act of 2025, grant state and local agencies (though not private-sector entities) greater license to detect and track hostile drones.
    — Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • And as the backlash to generative AI continues to grow, especially in creative fields, those attempts are bringing in far more negative than positive attention.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026
  • At least twice each fiscal year, school boards review updated financial projections and classify their districts’ fiscal health as positive, qualified or negative, after which county superintendents review each certification and may downgrade it.
    — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of negative

Browse Nearby Words

antagonist
antagonistic
antagonistically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Antagonistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonistic. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All