WordGarden.iorepulse
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /rɪpˈʌls/
US
- /riˈpəls/
Meanings
Verb
to fill someone with strong disgust or aversion
to drive back or fend off an attacking force
Beyond the definition
To repulse someone means to make them feel strong disgust or strong dislike, like when a terrible smell makes you want to step away. It can also mean to fight off an attack, especially in war. Imagine being offered something truly awful to eat; the smell alone might repulse you so much that you gag. Or picture soldiers successfully repulsing an enemy attack.
The key idea is a strong reaction of rejection, either emotional or physical. If someone's behavior repulses you, you want nothing to do with them. If a defender repulses an attack, they force it back. In both cases, something is being strongly pushed away.
To repulse means to cause someone intense disgust or aversion, pushing them away emotionally or physically. It's stronger than simply disliking something; it suggests a deep, immediate reaction. For example: "His callous disregard for others completely repulsed her." This suggests she found his behavior deeply offensive and felt an instinctive need to distance herself from him.
Repulse can also describe the act of driving back an attack or force. In military terms, to repulse an enemy means to successfully defend against them and force them to retreat. "The soldiers bravely repulsed the invaders." This implies a strong resistance and ultimate victory in pushing the attackers away.
Historically, "repulse" also carried a stronger sense of physical rejection. While that use is less common today, it helps show the basic idea: something is pushed back or turned away because it is not wanted.
You might say a certain food repulses you because its taste or texture is unpleasant. Or perhaps someone's arrogance repulses you, making you unwilling to engage with them. In either case, repulse signifies a strong negative reaction that creates distance and rejection. Whether it involves an emotional barrier or a military defense, to repulse is to push something away with force and distaste.
Examples
- 1
Sensory reaction
The smell coming from the fridge repulsed everyone in the room.
- 2
Moral reaction
She was repulsed by his cruelty to the dog.
- Patternbe repulsed by + cause
feel strong disgust because of it
- 3
Imagined disgust
I was repulsed at the thought of swimming in that dirty water.
- Patternrepulsed at the thought of + unpleasant thing
feel disgust when you imagine it
- 4
Military defense
In the first hour of the battle, the soldiers repulsed two enemy attacks.
- Patternrepulse an attack
force it back
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- repulseverbnoun
Forms
- repulsedpast tenseverbnoun
- repulsesverbnoun
- repulsing-ing formverbnoun