The word for today is…
antagonist (noun):
1: one that contends with or opposes another : adversary, opponent
2: an agent of physiological antagonism: such as
a: a muscle that contracts with and limits the action of an agonist with which it is paired
b: a chemical that acts within the body to reduce the physiological activity of another chemical substance (such as an opiate), especially : one that opposes the action on the nervous system of a drug or a substance occurring naturally in the body by combining with and blocking its nervous receptor
Source : Merriam -Webster
Etymology : On the stage or screen, in a story or a novel, the protagonist is the main character and the antagonist is the opposing one. Pro- and ant- usually mark the good and bad characters, but not always; there may occasionally be an evil protagonist and a good antagonist. In the drama of the real world, it's especially hard to sort out which is which, so we usually speak of both parties to a conflict as antagonists. During a strike, for example, representatives of labour and management become antagonists; they often manage to antagonise each other, and the antagonism often remains after the strike is over.
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