DictionaryRoot: agōnizesthai
Greek
agōnizesthai
to contend for a prize
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verb
antagonize
an-TAG-uh-nyze/ænˈtæɡənaɪz/
To provoke hostility or resistance.
Etymology
The pieces originally meant competing or struggling against someone. The meaning shifted from acting as an opponent to making someone hostile—provoking the opposition rather than simply taking part in it.