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.

All three films celebrate highly dominant male protagonists who project raw power, aggression and emotional intensity.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

"There has been a lot of male protagonists and a lot of men have felt like they can be that main character," she says.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Swann allows her sheep protagonists to express themselves in her book without abandoning their sheep identity.

From Salon • May 17, 2026

The highest-grossing movie of the year worldwide is the videogame adaptation “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” where fans can be confident the the protagonists will just regenerate.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

I think my students will be able to identify with the teen protagonists in all of the books I’ve selected.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers