repellent

American  

[ri-pel-uhnt] / rɪˈpɛl ənt /

Or repellant

adjective

1. causing distaste or aversion; repulsive.

   Synonyms:

   loathsome, distasteful, disgusting, repugnant

2. forcing or driving back.

3. serving or tending to ward off or drive away.

4. impervious or resistant to something (often used in combination).

   moth-repellant.

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noun

1. something that repels, as a substance that keeps away insects.

2. a medicine that serves to prevent or reduce swellings, tumors, etc.

3. any of various durable or nondurable solutions applied to a fabric, garment, surface, etc., to increase its resistance, as to water, moths, mildew, etc.

repellent British  

/ rɪˈpɛlənt /

adjective

1. giving rise to disgust or aversion; distasteful or repulsive

2. driving or forcing away or back; repelling

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noun

1. something, esp a chemical substance, that repels

   insect repellent

2. a substance with which fabrics are treated to increase their resistance to water

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonrepellent
  adjective
• self-repellent
  adjective
• interrepellent
  adjective
• repellently
  adverb
• unrepellent
  adjective
• unrepellently
  adverb
• repellence
  noun

Etymology

Origin of repellent

1635–45; < Latin repellent- (stem of repellēns ), present participle of repellere to drive back. See repel, -ent

Explanation

How can you tell that something is repellent? You dislike it so much, you want nothing to do with it. If something is repellent, it is highly offensive or disgusting. To correctly pronounce repellent, accent the second syllable: "ruh-PELL-unt." Being repellent is sometimes a good thing, like when you're camping — your water-repellent tent gets you through a rainstorm and bug repellent keeps you free of itchy bites. The word originates from the Old French word repeller, meaning "to drive away, remove."

Example Sentences

“They will be repellent to the undecided voters Pratt needs to catch, most of whom will think they’re coming directly from the campaign,” she said on X. “Get smarter, guys.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Since microplastics are also water repellent, the particles naturally stick to the algae when they meet in water.

From Science Daily • May 12, 2026

Rodent repellent, cigarette packets, and piles of very old newspapers are also among their finds.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

“The company phased out the substance in FY23, which had been used in durable water repellent products, a small percentage of our assortment,” the statement said.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

"Need some bug repellent? Maybe a better diet?"

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda