Antagonize

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ænˈtæɡ.ɪ.naɪz/

Definitions

1. To cause someone to become hostile or unfriendly by action or words
2. To incite anger or annoyance in another person through behavior or speech
3. To provoke antagonism or resentment from others by deliberate conduct

Etymology: Antagonize began life as a fight in an arena. Its ancestor, the Ancient Greek "antagōnízomai," combined "anti-," meaning against, with "agōnízomai," meaning to contend for a prize or struggle in a contest. The "agōn" at its heart is the same root that gave English words like agony and agonist, and the ancient sense was literal competition: wrestlers and athletes striving against one another. Over time the idea moved from contest to hostility. To contend against someone came to mean to oppose them, and from opposition the word narrowed into the modern sense of deliberately provoking someone else's anger or irritation. The verb's form, with its "-ize" ending, shows it was built on the Greek pattern rather than borrowed whole, so the modern sense reflects a long shift from sport to spite.

Synonyms: provoke, incite, irritate

Antonyms: pacify, appease, reconcile