repel

[ ri-pel ]

/ rɪˈpɛl /

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See synonyms for: repel / repelled / repelling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), re·pelled, re·pel·ling.

to drive or force back (an assailant, invader, etc.).

to thrust back or away.

to resist effectively (an attack, onslaught, etc.).

to keep off or out; fail to mix with: Water and oil repel each other.

to resist the absorption or passage of (water or other liquid): This coat repels rain.

to refuse to have to do with; resist involvement in: to repel temptation.

to refuse to accept or admit; reject: to repel a suggestion.

to discourage the advances of (a person): He repelled me with his harshness.

to cause distaste or aversion in: Their untidy appearance repelled us.

to push back or away by a force, as one body acting upon another (opposed to attract): The north pole of one magnet will repel the north pole of another.

verb (used without object), re·pelled, re·pel·ling.

to act with a force that drives or keeps away something.

to cause distaste or aversion.

SYNONYMS FOR repel

1 repulse, parry, ward off.

3 withstand, oppose, rebuff.

7 decline, rebuff.

See synonyms for repel on Thesaurus.com

ANTONYMS FOR repel

1 attract.

See antonyms for repel on Thesaurus.com

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The verb tenses can be split into which 3 primary categories?

action, linking, and helping

dynamic, static, and auxiliary

past, present, and future

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Origin of repel

1350–1400; Middle English repellen<Latin repellere to drive back, equivalent to re-re- + pellere to drive, push; see repulse

OTHER WORDS FROM repel

re·pel·lence, re·pel·len·cy, nounre·pel·ler, nounre·pel·ling·ly, adverbre·pel·ling·ness, noun

non·re·pel·lence, nounnon·re·pel·len·cy, nounnon·re·pel·ler, nounself-re·pel·len·cy, nounun·re·pelled, adjective

Words nearby repel

repeater, repeating decimal, repeating firearm, repeat oneself, repechage, repel, repellent, repent, repentance, repentant, Repentigny

How to use repel in a sentence

Normally, hairlike structures called cilia on frog skin repel pathogens and spread mucus around.
Frog skin cells turned themselves into living machines|Laura Sanders|March 31, 2021|Science News
Ethanol preservation of specimens repels bacteria and fungi, but leaches out colors.
Dazzling underwater photos capture new views and scientific detail of fish larvae|Devin A. Reese|March 30, 2021|Science News
Pockets of water under the streamside plants support the plants during drought, which then repel fires much better than dry vegetation.
Simple hand-built structures can help streams survive wildfires and drought|Brianna Randall|March 26, 2021|Science News
You might expect the negative skyrmions to repel one another, but the quantum mechanical rules governing how electrons hop between the two sublattices actually draw skyrmions on the opposing grids together.
A New Twist Reveals Superconductivity’s Secrets|Charlie Wood|March 16, 2021|Quanta Magazine

By December, the king of Sweden announced, “I think that we have failed,” after the nation was hit with a second wave of cases, which herd immunity was supposed to repel.
Who Conquered the Virus?|Nick Fouriezos|March 13, 2021|Ozy
The only exception is military action to repel an imminent attack.
Obama’s ISIS War Is Illegal|Sen. Rand Paul|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bieber now knows his perfect body is no longer the weaponry with which to repel his bad press.
Justin Bieber's Abs Cannot Save Him|Tim Teeman|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was easy to imagine that the landscape was actively trying to repel us.
An Author at Home in Lonely Landscapes|Letitia Trent|July 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On paper, the forces in Tikrit should have been more than adequate to repel even a force of this size.
The Paper Tiger of the Tigris: How ISIS Took Tikrit Without a Fight|Andrew Slater|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Scuffles broke out with riot police, who used pepper spray to repel party members wielding Greek flags on thick wooden sticks.
Golden Dawn Continues Its Message of Hate|Ilana Glazer|May 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A dignified, modest reserve is the surest way to repel impertinence.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
They were ready to adopt the most energetic measures to repel the interference of this armed confederacy.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott
Douglas was advancing to repel the assailants when he was informed of the force in rear, and instantly drew back his men.
King Robert the Bruce|A. F. Murison
The men of his company, roaring curses at the Frenchmen, prepare to receive and repel a thundering charge of French cuirassiers.
Little Travels and Roadside Sketches|William Makepeace Thackeray
An always wrathful God would repel His worshipers, or cast them into despair.
Superstition In All Ages (1732)|Jean Meslier

British Dictionary definitions for repel

repel

/ (rɪˈpɛl) /

verb -pels, -pelling or -pelled (mainly tr)

to force or drive back (something or somebody, esp an attacker)

(also intr) to produce a feeling of aversion or distaste in (someone or something); be disgusting (to)

to push aside; dismisshe repelled the suggestion as wrong and impossible

to be effective in keeping away, controlling, or resistingan aerosol spray that repels flies

to have no affinity for; fail to mix with or absorbwater and oil repel each other

to disdain to accept (something); turn away from or spurnshe repelled his advances

(also intr) to exert an opposing force on (something)an electric charge repels another charge of the same sign

Derived forms of repel

repeller, noun

Word Origin for repel

C15: from Latin repellere, from re- + pellere to push, drive

undefined repel

See repulse

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

repel

verb (used with object), re·pelled, re·pel·ling.

verb (used without object), re·pelled, re·pel·ling.

SYNONYMS FOR repel

ANTONYMS FOR repel

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Origin of repel

OTHER WORDS FROM repel

Words nearby repel

Words related to repel

How to use repel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for repel

verb -pels, -pelling or -pelled (mainly tr)

Derived forms of repel

Word Origin for repel

undefined repel