CEFR C1

antagonize

verb

Meaning

Cause someone to become hostile or resentful through annoying or provocative behavior.

Examples

She tried not to antagonize her boss by questioning his decisions in front of the entire team.
Constant teasing will only antagonize your classmates and make them less likely to help you.

Synonyms: annoy, bother, provoke, exasperate

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antagonize (C1)

verb

Pronunciation: /ænˈtæɡənaɪz/

Definition

Cause someone to become hostile or resentful through annoying or provocative behavior.

Examples

She tried not to antagonize her boss by questioning his decisions in front of the entire team.
Constant teasing will only antagonize your classmates and make them less likely to help you.
He realized that his sarcastic comments were antagonizing the very people he needed to win over.

How to Use antagonize

antagonize someone (collocation): to provoke a specific person — "Try not to antagonize the security guard."
be antagonized by (prepositional phrase): to feel provoked by an action — "He was easily antagonized by any hint of criticism."

Synonyms of antagonize

Words with a similar meaning to antagonize:

Antonyms of antagonize

Words with the opposite meaning to antagonize:

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