antagonize
Make an enemy
To antagonize is to provoke hostility or opposition in someone: His condescending tone antagonized everyone in the room.
The word suggests actively stirring up ill will rather than merely disagreeing.
You can antagonize a person, a group, or even a system: The new policy antagonized labor unions.
In biology, muscles or drugs that work against each other are said to antagonize.
Urge toward action
Bitter, lasting ill will
- aggressionHostile or attacking behavior
- belligerenceWarlike aggression
- combativenessInclination toward conflict
- animosityActive, bitter hostility
malice · spite · rancor · acrimony · ill-will · animus · antipathy · aversion
Cause emotional separation
- offendCause hurt feelings
- disaffectCause loyalty to fade
- distanceSpace between two points
- repulseDrive back or disgust
turn off · put off · disgruntle · embitter · sour · envenom · poison · divide
Oppose or refuse compliance
- counteractNullify by opposing force
- defyResist or challenge openly
- thwartPrevent success of
- undermineWeaken by stealth
obstruct · rebuff · repel · withstand · contest · challenge · confront · cross
Violent disagreement or collision
- confrontationDirect hostile encounter
- disputeVerbal clash over differences
- feudBitter ongoing rivalry
- quarrelAngry verbal dispute
rivalry · strife · discord · tension · friction · contention · dissension · squabble
incite
Urge toward action
inflame · rouse · needle · bait · taunt · prod · poke · rankle · rile · nettle
enmity
Bitter, lasting ill will
- aggressionHostile or attacking behavior
- belligerenceWarlike aggression
- combativenessInclination toward conflict
animosity · malice · spite · rancor · acrimony · ill-will · animus · antipathy · aversion · opposition
estrange
Cause emotional separation
repulse · turn off · put off · disgruntle · embitter · sour · envenom · poison · divide · separate
resist
Oppose or refuse compliance
- counteractNullify by opposing force
- defyResist or challenge openly
- thwartPrevent success of
undermine · obstruct · rebuff · repel · withstand · contest · challenge · confront · cross · contradict
clash
Violent disagreement or collision
- confrontationDirect hostile encounter
- disputeVerbal clash over differences
- feudBitter ongoing rivalry
quarrel · rivalry · strife · discord · tension · friction · contention · dissension · squabble · altercation
- making troublemake waves, stir the pot, raise Cain, kick up a fuss, upset the apple cart
- tauntstaunts, taunt, taunting, neener neener, insults
- agitateagitate, stir, rouse, disturb, rile up
- troublemakingtroublemaker, troublemaking, instigate, agitator, instigating
- dopamine antagonistBlocks neurotransmitter binding sites
antagonist, antagonism, antagonistic, antagonized, antagonizes, antagonizing, antagonise, antagonisms, antagonised