"one who contends with another," 1590s, from French antagoniste (16c.) or directly from Late Latin antagonista, from Greek antagonistēs "competitor, opponent, rival," agent noun from antagonizesthai "to struggle against, oppose, be a rival," from anti "against" (see anti-) + agonizesthai "to contend for a prize," from agon "a struggle, a contest" (see agony). Originally in battle or sport, extended 1620s to any sphere of human activity.

"acting in opposition," 1630s, from antagonist + -ic. Related: Antagonistical (1620s); antagonistically.

1670s, "principal character in a story, drama, etc.," from Greek prōtagōnistēs "actor who plays the chief or first part," from prōtos "first" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "first, chief") + agōnistēs "actor, competitor," from agōn "contest" (see agony).

The general meaning "leading person in any cause or contest" is from 1889. The mistaken sense of "advocate, supporter" (1935) is from misunderstanding of Greek prōt- as Latin pro- "for." Compare antagonist. Deuteragonist "second person or actor in a drama" is attested from 1840.

"one who opposes, an adversary, an antagonist," 1580s, from noun use of Latin opponentem (nominative opponens), present participle of opponere "oppose, object to," literally "set against, set opposite," from assimilated form of ob "in front of, in the way of" (see ob-) + ponere "to put, set, place" (see position (n.)). Originally "one who maintains a contrary argument in a disputation;" the general sense is by 1610s.

1876, in writings on Greek drama, "a hero (attacked in the play by an antagonist)," from Latin agonista, Greek agōnistes "rival combatant in the games, competitor; opponent (in a debate)," also, generally "one who struggles (for something)," from agōnia "a struggle for victory" (in wrestling, etc.), in a general sense "exercise, gymnastics;" also of mental struggles, "agony, anguish" (see agony). Agonistes as an (ironic) epithet seems to have been introduced in English by T.S. Eliot (1932).

"a combat between two armed men on horseback, each trying to throw the other from the saddle; the exercise of charging with a spear sharp or blunted, against an antagonist or a mark;" 1510s, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from tilt (v.1) in the older sense of "push over, cause to fall," but the noun seems to have been originally used in reference to the barrier between the combatants, which suggests possible connection with Middle English noun tilt, teld, telte "covering of coarse cloth, an awning" (mid-15c.).

Middle English Compendium derives this from Old English teld "awning, tent," which Watkins says is related to beteldan "to cover," from Proto-Germanic *teldam "thing spread out."

Hence figurative full tilt "at utmost impetus, at full speed and direct thrust" (c. 1600).

"a contradictor, one that is by nature in opposition to prevailing  opinions, or the shibboleths of the majority," 1963, from contrary + -ian.

To be in opposition is not to be a nihilist. And there is no decent or charted way of making a living at it. It is something you are, and not something you do. [Christopher Hitchens, "Letters to a Young Contrarian," 2001]

Latin contrarius (adj.) also was used as a noun meaning "an opponent, an antagonist." In English history, contrariant (from French, from Medieval Latin contrariantem) was the name given to Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, and the barons who took part with him in the rebellion against Edward II, "because, on account of their great power, it was not expedient to call them rebels or traitors" [Century Dictionary].

Middle English drope, from Old English dropa "a small, spherical mass of liquid," from Proto-Germanic *drupon (source also of Old Saxon dropo, Old Norse dropi, Dutch drop, Old High German tropfo, German Tropfen (n.)); see drop (v.).

Sense of "minute quantity of anything, least possible amount" is from c. 1200. Meaning "an act of dropping" is from 1630s; of immaterial things (prices, temperatures, etc.) from mid-19c. Meaning "lozenge, hard candy" is 1723, from resemblance in shape. Meaning "secret place where things can be left illicitly and picked up later" is from 1931. Theatrical meaning "painted curtain dropped between scenes to conceal the stage from the audience" is by 1779.

Drop in the bucket (late 14c.) is from Isaiah xl.15 [KJV]. At the drop of a hat "suddenly" is from 1854. To get the drop on "be prepared before one's antagonist" originally was Old West gunslinger slang (1869).

late 12c., "loss, lack; " c. 1200, "regret occasioned by loss or absence," from Old English miss "absence, loss," from source of missan "to miss" (see miss (v.)). Meaning "an act or fact of missing; a being without" is from late 15c.; meaning "a failure to hit or attain" is 1550s.

Phrase a miss is as good as a mile (1761) was originally an inch, in a miss, is as good as an ell (1610s; see ell). To give (something) a miss "to abstain from, avoid" is attested by 1919, perhaps from earlier use of the term in billiards, "to avoid hitting the object ball" (1807).

There are few of the niceties of the game that require more care than that of "giving a miss," and particularly when the player wishes to mask the ball. I recollect a game I played with Mr. Burke, of Cheltenham. He went off, and doubled, as was his custom, the red ball nearly over the baulk corner pocket. Not feeling disposed, against so skilful an antagonist, to run the risk of playing for a canon off his ball, I gave a miss, thinking I had masked the ball. His eye, keen and penetrating, discovered at a glance that I had just left him room to pass. He played at the red ball and holed his own ball off it by a fine cut, and scored forty points from the break. [Edward Russell Mardon, "Billiards," London, 1849]