WordValeantagonize
to cause someone to become hostile
In more detail
1. (verb) to make someone become your enemy or to make them angry and hostile
2. (verb) to cause opposition or resistance in someone
Examples
- 1. His rude comments antagonized many people at the meeting.
- 2. The new policy antagonized workers who feared losing their jobs.
How to use antagonize
Antagonize means to cause someone to become hostile or oppositional, either through deliberate provocation or through actions that offend. It is stronger than merely disagreeing and implies an active shift from neutral or positive to negative feelings. The word often appears in contexts where someone's actions undermine relationships, political support, or cooperation.
Common phrases
- antagonize someone
- risk antagonizing
- antagonize the audience
- antagonize local residents
- antagonize potential allies
Synonyms
provoke · anger · alienate · offend · estrange
Opposites
appease · conciliate · placate
Word family
antagonist (noun) · antagonism (noun) · antagonistic (adjective) · antagonistically (adverb)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes use antagonize to mean simply 'oppose' or 'compete with,' but it specifically means to make someone hostile, not merely to oppose them.
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