repugnant
Americanadjective
-
distasteful, objectionable, or offensive.
a repugnant smell.
-
making opposition; averse.
-
opposed or contrary, as in nature or character.
- Synonyms:
- hostile, adverse, antagonistic
adjective
-
repellent to the senses; causing aversion
-
distasteful; offensive; disgusting
-
contradictory; inconsistent or incompatible
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of repugnant
1350–1400; Middle English repugnaunt < Middle French < Latin repugnant- (stem of repugnāns, present participle of repugnāre ), equivalent to repugn ( āre ) to repugn + -ant- -ant
Explanation
Repugnant refers to something you detest so thoroughly it threatens to make you physically sick, like the idea of marrying your sister. Or wearing last year's jeans. A repugnant thing is a thing offensive, detestable, or obscene. It can be repugnant to your mind or your morals. It can also be physically repugnant, like the smell that comes from a restaurant’s dumpster, which hasn't been emptied since the very exciting "Omelet Week," way back at the beginning of August. Makes you want to "re-PLUG-nant" your nose!
Vocabulary lists containing repugnant
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” announced then-ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2025
Families of the victims previously said in a statement the potential breach was "gross and inexcusable voyeurism at the most repugnant level".
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2025
The courts really do have the power to examine a statute or a permit and say, No, this is repugnant to the constitution and must be set aside.
From Slate • Dec. 20, 2024
The specifics are as repugnant, if not more so.
From Salon • Oct. 2, 2024
When I could have used one, when the kids were little, I couldn’t afford it; and later, when I could afford it, I still found the idea repugnant.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
