repel
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.
to act with a force that drives or keeps away something.
to cause distaste or aversion.
Origin of repel
1Other words for repel
Opposites for repel
Other words from repel
- re·pel·lence, re·pel·len·cy, noun
- re·pel·ler, noun
- re·pel·ling·ly, adverb
- re·pel·ling·ness, noun
- non·re·pel·lence, noun
- non·re·pel·len·cy, noun
- non·re·pel·ler, noun
- self-re·pel·len·cy, noun
- un·re·pelled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use repel in a sentence
When the immune system spots these proteins, it mounts defenses against them that will also repel real viral intruders in the future.
Moderna says its covid-19 vaccine is nearly 95% effective | Will Heaven | November 16, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewWax still forms a barrier against water corrosion, but in wet conditions, it’s less effective at repelling grit.
Banks said one law criminalizes the use of military at the polls unless it is “necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.”
How the National Guard could play a role in the election | Rachel Schallom | October 30, 2020 | FortuneWhen we encounter a pathogen we’ve seen before, we can repel it before it harms us.
When Evolution Is Infectious - Issue 90: Something Green | Moises Velasquez-Manoff | September 30, 2020 | NautilusWhen the 2020 coronavirus pandemic forced workers across the United States to stop congregating in offices and work from home, Siemens USA was prepared to protect its newly remote workforce and identify and repel potential data breaches.
AIOps uses AI, automation to boost security | Jason Sparapani | September 30, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
Early airpower theorists were not only repelled by trench warfare.
Why the U.S. Army Is Stuck in the 19th Century | Bill Sweetman | September 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThere are many, many reasons to be repelled by Ronaldo that have nothing to do with his athletic performance.
Why It’s Still OK to Hate Sexy Bastard Cristiano Ronaldo After He Saved Team USA | Emily Shire | June 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHundreds of insurgents attacked and were only repelled by teams of Apache helicopters.
We Lost Soldiers in the Hunt for Bergdahl, a Guy Who Walked Off in the Dead of Night | Nathan Bradley Bethea | June 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTKing Alfred of Wessex repelled the attacks and laid the foundations for a kingdom that would become known as England.
Scientists Find Remains of Alfred The Great Or King Edward The Elder | Nico Hines | January 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe young are generally repelled by GOP intolerance and intransigence on social issues.
The English seized their46 opportunity and attacked as closely as the fire permitted, but they were gallantly repelled.
King Robert the Bruce | A. F. MurisonGeneral Hall occupied Santólan and the pumping-station there and repelled the repeated attacks made on his column.
The Philippine Islands | John ForemanHe had never been invited into a woman's crypts before, and he hardly knew whether he were gratified or repelled.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonAt first Henri had wished, having learned of an attack, to be among those who repelled it.
The Amazing Interlude | Mary Roberts RinehartHer voice defied, almost repelled him; but her face turned to him with its involuntary surrender.
The Creators | May Sinclair
British Dictionary definitions for repel
/ (rɪˈpɛl) /
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
Origin of repel
1repel
Derived forms of repel
- repeller, noun
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
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