noun
Meaning 1
The act of repulsing or the state of being repulsed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
repulse
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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rĭ-pŭls′
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Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation, Scotland: /ɹɪˈpʌls/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australian: /ɹɪˈpɐls/
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New-Zealand: /ɹəˈpɐls/
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India: /ɾɪˈpəls/
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rhymes with -ʌls
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CMU ARPABET: R IY0 P AH1 L S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
Refusal, rejection or repulsion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To repel or drive back.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- to repulse an assault; to repulse the enemy
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To reject or rebuff.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- to repulse a suitor
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To cause revulsion in; to repel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- The smell of rotting food repulsed me.
- I find your conduct reprehensible, disgusting, and it repulses me, the way a mongoose repulses a snake.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
an instance of driving away or warding off
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: rebuff, snub
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: rejection
verb
Meaning 7
force or drive back
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- repel the attacker
- fight off the onslaught
- rebuff the attack
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: repel, fight off, rebuff, drive back
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: fight, oppose, fight back, fight down, defend
verb
Meaning 8
cause to move back by force or influence
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- repel the enemy
- push back the urge to smoke
- beat back the invaders
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: repel, drive, force back, push back, beat back
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: push, force
verb
Meaning 9
be repellent to; cause aversion in
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: repel
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: displease
Narrower terms: disgust, revolt, nauseate, sicken, churn up, turn off, put off
History
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English repulse, borrowed from Old French repulse, from Latin repulsa (petītiō), from repellō.
Inherited from Middle English repulsen, a learned borrowing from Latin repulsus, from repellō. For spelling, as in pulse, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in pulls, and does not change the vowel (‘u’). Compare else, false, convulse.
Across languages
Translations
36 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: отбивам (otbivam) — to repel or drive back
- Bulgarian: отблъсквам (otblǎskvam) — to repel or drive back
- Finnish: torjua — to repel or drive back
- Finnish: karkottaa — to repel or drive back
- Ancient Greek: ἐκκρούω (ekkroúō) — to repel or drive back
- Irish: ruaig — to repel or drive back
- Latin: repellō — to repel or drive back
- Latin: prōturbō — to repel or drive back
- Māori: taiari — to repel or drive back
- Māori: taieri — to repel or drive back
- Russian: отража́ть (otražátʹ) — to repel or drive back
- Russian: отрази́ть (otrazítʹ) — to repel or drive back
- Russian: отбива́ть (otbivátʹ) — to repel or drive back
- Russian: отби́ть (otbítʹ) — to repel or drive back
- Russian: дава́ть отпо́р (davátʹ otpór) — to repel or drive back
- Russian: дать отпо́р (datʹ otpór) — to repel or drive back
- Bulgarian: отхвърлям (othvǎrljam) — to reject or rebuff
- Bulgarian: не приемам (ne priemam) — to reject or rebuff
- Finnish: torjua — to reject or rebuff
- Latin: repellō — to reject or rebuff
- Māori: whakahoe — to reject or rebuff
- Māori: whakapeka — to reject or rebuff
- Russian: отка́зывать (otkázyvatʹ) — to reject or rebuff
- Russian: отказа́ть (otkazátʹ) — to reject or rebuff
- Russian: отверга́ть (otvergátʹ) — to reject or rebuff
- Russian: отве́ргнуть (otvérgnutʹ) — to reject or rebuff
- Finnish: inhottaa — to cause revulsion
- Māori: whakarihariha — to cause revulsion
- Māori: whakahiaruaki — to cause revulsion
- Māori: whakarikarika — to cause revulsion
- Māori: whakahouhou — to cause revulsion
- Māori: pūkanekane — to cause revulsion
- Māori: whakaanuanu — to cause revulsion
- Russian: отта́лкивать (ottálkivatʹ) — to cause revulsion
- Russian: оттолкну́ть (ottolknútʹ) — to cause revulsion
- Spanish: repulsar — to cause revulsion
Real reading context