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.

OTHER WORDS FOR repel

1 repulse, parry, ward off.

3 withstand, oppose, rebuff.

7 decline, rebuff.

See synonyms for repel on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR repel

1 attract.

See antonyms for repel on Thesaurus.com

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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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

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 Review
Wax still forms a barrier against water corrosion, but in wet conditions, it’s less effective at repelling grit.
You Should Hot-Wax Your Bike Chains. Here's Why.|Joe Lindsey|November 6, 2020|Outside Online
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|Fortune
When 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|Nautilus

When 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|DAILY BEAST
There 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|DAILY BEAST
Hundreds 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|DAILY BEAST
King 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|DAILY BEAST
The young are generally repelled by GOP intolerance and intransigence on social issues.
Bob Shrum’s Winners & Losers of 2012|Robert Shrum|December 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The English seized their46 opportunity and attacked as closely as the fire permitted, but they were gallantly repelled.
King Robert the Bruce|A. F. Murison
General Hall occupied Santólan and the pumping-station there and repelled the repeated attacks made on his column.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
He had never been invited into a woman's crypts before, and he hardly knew whether he were gratified or repelled.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
At first Henri had wished, having learned of an attack, to be among those who repelled it.
The Amazing Interlude|Mary Roberts Rinehart
Her voice defied, almost repelled him; but her face turned to him with its involuntary surrender.
The Creators|May Sinclair

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

OTHER WORDS FOR repel

OPPOSITES FOR repel

Origin of repel

OTHER WORDS FROM repel

Words related to repel

How to use repel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for repel

Derived forms of repel

Word Origin for repel

undefined repel