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repel
[ri-pel]
verb (used with object)
to drive or force back (an assailant, invader, etc.).
Antonyms: attractto 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 (attract ).
The north pole of one magnet will repel the north pole of another.
verb (used without object)
to act with a force that drives or keeps away something.
to cause distaste or aversion.
repel
/ rɪˈpɛl /
verb
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; dismiss
he repelled the suggestion as wrong and impossible
to be effective in keeping away, controlling, or resisting
an aerosol spray that repels flies
to have no affinity for; fail to mix with or absorb
water and oil repel each other
to disdain to accept (something); turn away from or spurn
she repelled his advances
(also intr) to exert an opposing force on (something)
an electric charge repels another charge of the same sign
Other Word Forms
- repellence noun
- repellency noun
- repeller noun
- repellingly adverb
- repellingness noun
- nonrepellence noun
- nonrepellency noun
- nonrepeller noun
- self-repellency noun
- unrepelled adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of repel1
Example Sentences
Much of socialism’s appeal for young people stems from how it repels older generations—and from the rare sense of political agency that comes with it.
The magnetic force makes a comeback, this time repelling the Obayifo away from us.
This was the result of the Swanburne hair poultice that was applied on a regular basis, to repel lice and fleas and encourage healthy scalps, according to school policy.
The Constitution grants Congress, not the president, the power to deploy the National Guard “to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions.”
Moscow says its forces are helping several African governments repel jihadist insurgencies.
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Related Words
- chase away www.thesaurus.com
- confront
- drive away www.thesaurus.com
- drive off
- fend off www.thesaurus.com
- rebuff
- resist
- withstand
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