ENGLISH
REFERENCE

antagonism

n.
C1 Advanced US //ænˈtæɡəˌnɪzəm// UK //æntˈæɡənˌɪzəm// an·tag·o·nism

n. a strong feeling of dislike or opposition toward someone or something. You use this when two people or groups are actively trying to fight against each other.

n. a state of active opposition or hostility between two or more parties. Often describes a deep-seated or persistent conflict rather than a temporary disagreement.


SIMPLE

There is a lot of antagonism between the two political groups.

CONTEXTUAL

The new policy caused a lot of antagonism among the local farmers who felt their interests were ignored.

COMPLEX

The novel explores the antagonism between the industrialists and the labor unions, showing how their mutual distrust eventually led to a city-wide strike.

Synonyms
Origin

From Ancient Greek ἀνταγωνιστής (antagōnistḗs, “opponent”), from ἀνταγωνίζομαι (antagōnízomai, “antagonize”), from ἀγών (agṓn, “contest”) (English agon).

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