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

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Etymology

Origin of repellent

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

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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

See Examples For:

repellent repellents

Yes, I’ve found much that is repellent in the man’s character and rhetoric.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

He could have made something that shimmers, a piece of true pop that expresses repellent ideals.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

I hoped my cat lady image, normally an instant man repellent, would make the man go away.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

Worse, you wouldn’t let me rub the repellent on you properly, because you didn’t like the sticky feel of ointment on your skin.

From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman

Taken together, these findings indicate that ultrasonic repellents could potentially be designed so hedgehogs can hear them while humans and pets cannot.*

From Science Daily ● Mar. 12, 2026

"It's amazing because this allows us to actually build targeted sound repellents that wouldn't bother us or our pets," she says.

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026

Officials urge travelers to keep open wounds clean and covered, avoid insect bites, and wear hats, loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and pants, socks, and insect repellents registered by the Environmental Protection Agency as effective.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2025

Infection can be prevented by wearing long-sleeved clothing and using mosquito nets, as well as chemical insect repellents such as DEET.

From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2025

One of them, labeled defense dispenser, offered self-defense equipment: lightweight body armor, chemical repellents, and a wide selection of handguns.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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