rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: -isma
Greek

-isma

action or its result

1 / 1
Two neighbors face one another angrily across shared fence, rigid gestures clear mutual hostility.
noun

antagonism

an-TAG-uh-niz-um/ænˈtæɡənɪzəm/

Active opposition or hostility between people or forces.

Etymology
antGreekagainst; in place of
+agonGreekcontest, struggle
+ismGreekaction or its result

The pieces evoke struggling against a competitor in a contest. That image extends to opposition more generally, including the active hostility expressed by this sense.

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