How to say "antagonist" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- noun, prenominal modifierThe loanword, used especially for the character who opposes the protagonist in a story, film, or game. For the muscle and drug senses, use 拮抗筋 or 拮抗薬 instead.
- 拮抗筋きっこうきんnounThe anatomy and physiology term: a muscle that opposes the action of another muscle. Use it only when muscles, not people or drugs, are in question.
- 拮抗薬きっこうやくnounThe pharmacology term: a drug that blocks or counteracts the action of another substance in the body. Reach for this when 'antagonist' refers to a medication.
- 遮断薬しゃだんやくnounA drug that blocks the action of a substance or signal; it also serves as the equivalent of 'blocker'. It overlaps with 拮抗薬, the more direct match for 'antagonist' in the drug sense.
- 敵対者てきたいしゃnounA person who opposes or is hostile toward someone: an adversary in a rivalry, dispute, or conflict. For the character role in a story, the loanword アンタゴニスト is the word to use.
Pick by sense: 「アンタゴニスト」 for the story role, 敵対者 for a person who opposes you, 拮抗筋 for muscles, and 拮抗薬 or 遮断薬 for a drug that blocks another's action — all five are relatively uncommon words.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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