protagonists

NOUN

person who takes the lead; central figure of narrative

Synonyms

STRONGEST

combatant hero idol

STRONG

advocate champion exemplar exponent lead leader mainstay principal standard-bearer warrior

WEAK

central character lead character prime mover

Antonyms

WEAK

antagonist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

protagonists

Suggesting no further delays to its release, the video gave fans a glimpse into the missions that protagonists Jason and Lucia will take part in.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Siskel and Ebert wannabes Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick of the Lakers liken themselves to iconic film protagonists.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026

The protagonists, unusually human for this pair, also seemed to be swept along.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Since they frequently fail, millennial protagonists suffer from a modern sort of arrested development.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

Jane, your films were about sticking it to the man, snapping back at the patriarchy by showing strong female protagonists who didn’t conform to gender roles.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word