antagonize
verb
[ anˈtaɡ(ə)nʌɪz ]
• cause (someone) to become hostile.
• "the aim was to antagonize visiting supporters"
Similar:
arouse hostility in,
alienate,
estrange,
disaffect,
anger,
annoy,
provoke,
vex,
irritate,
offend,
aggravate,
rile,
needle,
get someone's back up,
make someone's hackles rise,
rub up the wrong way,
ruffle someone's feathers,
rattle someone's cage,
get in someone's hair,
get someone's dander up,
get under someone's skin,
nark,
get on someone's wick,
get up someone's nose,
rark,
• (of a substance) act as an antagonist of (a substance or its action).
• "two other drugs antagonized the antidepressant-like effect"
Origin:
mid 18th century (in the sense ‘struggle against’): from Greek antagōnizesthai, from ant- ‘against’ + agōnizesthai ‘struggle’ (from agōn ‘contest’).
