repellent

or re·pel·lant

[ri-pel-uhnt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR repellent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

causing distaste or aversion; repulsive.

forcing or driving back.

serving or tending to ward off or drive away.

impervious or resistant to something (often used in combination): moth-repellant.

noun

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

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

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

Origin of repellent

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

Related formsre·pel·lent·ly, adverbin·ter·re·pel·lent, adjectivenon·re·pel·lent, adjectiveself-re·pel·lent, adjectiveun·re·pel·lent, adjectiveun·re·pel·lent·ly, adverb

Can be confusedrepellent repulsive

Synonyms for repellent

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR repellent ON THESAURUS.COM

1. repugnant, disgusting, distasteful, loathsome.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for repellent

offensive, foul, awful, hateful, odious, repugnant, rebarbative, loathsome, nauseating, repelling, repulsive, sickening

Examples from the Web for repellent

Contemporary Examples of repellent

This she did (we are not told how), and Beethoven reacted with ‘repellent coldness’.
Beethoven in Love: The Woman Who Captivated the Young Composer
John Suchet
January 26, 2014
At first it seems the repellent extends to the men in her life.
Lorraine Adams Reviews ‘Our Lady of Alice Bhatti’ by Mohammed Hanif
Lorraine Adams
May 30, 2012
Among those matriarchs are countless Italian women who have told me that they find our own sexual politics “repellent” and “sad.”
Berlusconi Exits, and an Era of Sexist Buffoonery Is Over
Lawrence Osborne
November 17, 2011
As much as America finds President Zardari repellent, we in Pakisan do, too.
Obama's Murderous Guest
Fatima Bhutto
May 5, 2009

Historical Examples of repellent

Repellent differences and dislikes separate them from mankind.
Latin America and the United States
Elihu Root
It was a repellent caricature, but could still be very funny.
The Velvet Glove
Harry Harrison
He had found the only way, and repellent though it might be to him, he must take it.
Captain Blood
Rafael Sabatini
There was something fascinating as well as repellent about the woods.
Frank Merriwell's Cruise
Burt L. Standish
He grew daily more sullen and repellent, toward Albert noticeably so.
Wayside Courtships
Hamlin Garland

British Dictionary definitions for repellent

repellent

adjective

giving rise to disgust or aversion; distasteful or repulsive

driving or forcing away or back; repelling

noun Also: repellant

something, esp a chemical substance, that repelsinsect repellent

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

Derived Formsrepellence or repellency, nounrepellently, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for repellent

adj.

also repellant, 1640s, from Latin repellentem (nominative repelens), present participle of repellere (see repel). Originally of medicines (that reduced tumors); meaning "distasteful, disagreeable" first recorded 1797.

also repellant, 1660s, "medicine that reduces tumors," from repellent (adj.). As "substance that repels insects," 1908.

repellent in Medicine

repellent

[rĭ-pĕl′ənt]

adj.

Capable of driving off or repelling.

n.

A substance used to drive off or keep away insects.