First Known Use: circa 1742
Dictionary
antagonize
verb an·tag·o·nize \an-ˈta-gə-ˌnīz\
: to cause (someone) to feel hostile or angry : to irritate or upset (someone)
an·tag·o·nizedan·tag·o·niz·ing
Full Definition of ANTAGONIZE
transitive verb
1
: to act in opposition to : counteract
2
: to incur or provoke the hostility of <his criticism antagonized his friends>
See antagonize defined for English-language learners
See antagonize defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Origin of ANTAGONIZE
Greek antagōnizesthai, from anti- + agōnizesthai to struggle, from agōn contest — more at agony
Rhymes with ANTAGONIZE
accessorize, acclimatize, actualize, aerobicize, aestheticize, Africanize, allegorize, alphabetize, analogize, anatomize, anesthetize, animalize, annualize, anthologize, anticlockwise, apologize, apostatize, apostrophize, arabicize, aromatize, automatize, bureaucratize, cannibalize, capitalize, categorize, catheterize, catholicize, characterize, collectivize, commercialize, commoditize, communalize, computerize, conservatize, containerize, contrariwise, conveyorize, cosmeticize, counterclockwise, criminalize, cross-fertilize, cut down to size, decentralize, decolonize, de-emphasize, de-energize, defeminize, deformalize, deglamorize, dehumanize, deionize, demagnetize, demobilize, democratize, demoralize, denationalize, deodorize, depersonalize, depolarize, depressurize, desensitize, destabilize, destigmatize, detribalize, devitalize, diabolize, digitalize, disenfranchise, disorganize, economize, emblematize, emotionalize, epitomize, epoxidize, eroticize, eternalize, evangelize, extemporize, externalize, familiarize, fanaticize, fictionalize, floor exercise, fool's paradise, formularize, free enterprise, gelatinize, generalize, geologize, Hispanicize, historicize, homogenize, hospitalize, hypothesize, idealize, illegalize, immobilize, immortalize, impersonalize, Indianize, indigenize, infantilize, initialize, internalize, italicize, legitimize, liberalize, literalize, lobotomize, lysogenize, macadamize, marginalize, metabolize, metastasize, militarize, mineralize, monopolize, mythologize, nationalize, naturalize, parenthesize, philosophize, poeticize, politicize, popularize, prioritize, proselytize, radicalize, reorganize, revitalize, ritualize, romanticize, secularize, self-fertilize, sensualize, sexualize, sovietize, subjectivize, suburbanize, subvocalize, systematize, temporalize, theologize, traditionalize, trivialize, ventriloquize, visualize
ANTAGONIZE Defined for Kids
antagonize
verb an·tag·o·nize \an-ˈta-gə-ˌnīz\
an·tag·o·nizedan·tag·o·niz·ing
Definition of ANTAGONIZE for Kids
: to stir up dislike or anger in <The bully antagonizes younger kids.>
Medical Dictionary
antagonize
transitive verb an·tag·o·nize
an·tag·o·nized also British an·tag·o·nisedan·tag·o·niz·ing also British an·tag·o·nis·ing
Medical Definition of ANTAGONIZE
: to act in antagonism to : counteract <these effects are antagonized by atropine—Ernest Bueding & Harry Most>
Variants of ANTAGONIZE
an·tag·o·nize also British an·tag·o·nise \an-ˈtag-ə-ˌnīz\
Learn More About ANTAGONIZE
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: antagonymPrevious Word in the Dictionary: antagonistic symbiosisAll Words Near: antagonize
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up antagonize? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).