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antagonism Definition

an·tago·nism (an tagə niz′əm)

noun

  1. the state of being opposed or hostile to another or to each other; opposition or hostility
  2. an opposing force, principle, etc.; specif., a mutually opposing action that can take place between organisms, muscles, drugs, etc.

Etymology: Gr antagōnisma < antagōnizesthai: see antagonize

antagonism Synonyms

antagonism

n.

antagonism Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • arouse: A GREAT ARMY OF BUILDERS From the outset the long view taken by these leaders of the Church aroused antagonism.
  • overcome: There is no evidence that the EU has succeeded in overcoming the national antagonisms between the major capitalist classes in Western Europe.
  • fuel: The cycle of violence has contributed to an atmosphere of extreme mistrust and polarization, which has fuelled further antagonism and violence.
  • grow: The Irish attended the proceedings in spite of growing Anglo-Irish antagonism.
  • create: She said, we don't want to create any antagonism.
  • cause: At the moment we can only use police officers to move them on, which just moves the problem elsewhere and causes antagonism.

Preposition: between

  • class: There is no evidence that the EU has succeeded in overcoming the national antagonisms between the major capitalist classes in Western Europe.
  • people: As a result there is a deep antagonism between the two peoples.
  • specie: Antagonism between two species of larval trematode in the same snail.
  • labor: This is partly because they leave untouched the fundamental antagonism between labor and capital.
  • nation: Disputes of a personal and family nature and antagonism between nations can escalate into ritualized or even real fight.

Adjective modifier

  • irreconcilable: Within a caste society there is an irreconcilable antagonism between the interests of the various castes.
  • mutual: So the relationship has to be an equable one - for who wants to be locked into mutual antagonism for a decade?
  • racial: They have failed to respond to the immense new challenge of world poverty and racial antagonism.
  • fundamental: Such is the fundamental antagonism of our epoch taught us by Marxism.
  • religious: There are profound national and religious antagonisms between them.
  • deep: As a result there is a deep antagonism between the two peoples.

Noun used with modifier

class: This is surely an echo of old style class antagonism.

Preposition: in

society: Marxists insist that there is a fundamental antagonism in society between the capitalist class and the working class.

Preposition: of

interest: I cannot conceive any point which can arise in the immediate future which would bring ourselves and the Germans into antagonism of interests.

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