repellent

American  

[ri-pel-uhnt] / rɪˈpɛl ənt /

Or repellant

adjective

1. causing distaste or aversion; repulsive.

   Synonyms:

   loathsome, distasteful, disgusting, repugnant

2. forcing or driving back.

3. serving or tending to ward off or drive away.

4. impervious or resistant to something (often used in combination).

   moth-repellant.

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noun

repellents plural

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

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

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

repellent British  

/ rɪˈpɛlənt /

adjective

1. giving rise to disgust or aversion; distasteful or repulsive

2. driving or forcing away or back; repelling

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noun

1. something, esp a chemical substance, that repels

   insect repellent

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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• repellence
  noun
• interrepellent
  adjective
• nonrepellent
  adjective
• self-repellent
  adjective
• unrepellent
  adjective
• repellently
  adverb
• unrepellently
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• repellents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of repellent

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

Explanation

How can you tell that something is repellent? You dislike it so much, you want nothing to do with it. If something is repellent, it is highly offensive or disgusting. To correctly pronounce repellent, accent the second syllable: "ruh-PELL-unt." Being repellent is sometimes a good thing, like when you're camping — your water-repellent tent gets you through a rainstorm and bug repellent keeps you free of itchy bites. The word originates from the Old French word repeller, meaning "to drive away, remove."

Example Sentences

And even if sunscreen is described as "water repellent" or "water resistant", it should still be reapplied after swimming.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

Since microplastics are also water repellent, the particles naturally stick to the algae when they meet in water.

From Science Daily • May 12, 2026

The movie is simultaneously more depressing than the original and more saccharine, with a repellent amount of affection between characters who should know better.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

“The company phased out the substance in FY23, which had been used in durable water repellent products, a small percentage of our assortment,” the statement said.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Her skinny bare legs glistened with insect repellent.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen