Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The character second in importance to the protagonist in classical Greek drama.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In the Gr. drama, an actor who played the second part, after that of the protagonist.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A person in a secondary role, specifically the second most important character (after the protagonist).

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Greek deuteragōnistēs, an actor of second-class parts : deuteros, second; see deu- in Indo-European roots + agōnistēs, actor; see protagonist.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Ancient Greek δευτεραγωνιστής (deuteragonistes, literally "second actor"), originally in Greek drama, from ἀγωνιστής (agōnistēs, "a combatant, pleader, actor").

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Examples

  • “Bruno, two cat eyes, pointy teeth, and mouse-gray hair with two bare spots, as if from alopecia or impetigo.” deuteragonist The person second in importance to the protagonist in a drama.

    More Vocabulary from Eco « So Many Books 2005

  • “A deuteragonist in that little drama, I had a moment of doubt.”

    More Vocabulary from Eco « So Many Books 2005

  • The two absolutely essential things are, in the first place, a certain charm of mind and even manner, which is a purely instinctive gift; and, in the second place, real sympathy with, real interest in the deuteragonist.

    From a College Window Arthur Christopher Benson 1893

  • The deuteragonist or secondary person can at times tell us more of them than circumstances at furious heat will help them to reveal; and the Dame will have him only as an index-post.

    The Amazing Marriage — Volume 3 George Meredith 1868

  • The deuteragonist or secondary person can at times tell us more of them than circumstances at furious heat will help them to reveal; and the Dame will have him only as an index-post.

    The Amazing Marriage — Complete George Meredith 1868

  • The deuteragonist or secondary person can at times tell us more of them than circumstances at furious heat will help them to reveal; and the Dame will have him only as an index-post.

    Complete Project Gutenberg Works of George Meredith George Meredith 1868

  • (deuteragonist) by Aeschylus, and a third (tritagonist) by Sophocles.

    VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol XIII No 3 1986

Comments

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  • To marry had long been his grail

    But, wed, he is whirled in a gale.

    Can you imagine this?

    He's deuteragonist

    In what had been his personal tale!

    April 27, 2015

  • Bizarrely, I learned this word from reading the Blaze and the Monster Machines page on wikia. Clealry the paes aren't written by the target audience of the cartoons.

    February 28, 2018