repulsion

American  

[ri-puhl-shuhn] / rɪˈpʌl ʃən /

noun

1. the act of repulsing or the state of being repulsed.

2. the feeling of being repelled, as by the thought or presence of something; distaste, repugnance, or aversion.

3. Physics. the force that acts between bodies of like electric charge or magnetic polarity, tending to separate them.

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repulsion British  

/ rɪˈpʌlʃən /

noun

1. a feeling of disgust or aversion

2. physics a force tending to separate two objects, such as the force between two like electric charges or magnetic poles

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Other Word Forms

• interrepulsion
  noun

Etymology

Origin of repulsion

1375–1425; late Middle English < Middle French < Medieval Latin repulsiōn- (stem of Late Latin repulsiō ), equivalent to Latin repuls ( us ) ( see repulse) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Repulsion is getting grossed out. If the thought of great green globs of greasy grimy gopher guts makes you recoil in horror, then you've experienced repulsion, or an intense aversion to something. Where there's repulsion, there's disgust. Maybe gagging. Perhaps a few screams. In physics, repulsion describes how two magnets with the same charge jump away from each other, kind of like how most of us leap from the table when mom puts down a plate of Brussels sprouts.

Example Sentences

Polling data backs up this anecdotal display of repulsion towards racist violence.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

I hate sleeping in other people’s beds and can’t fathom spending all day with a man without developing at least one repulsion to him.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2024

By the donor doping of large W6+, this material can take up more water to increase its proton concentration, as well as reduce the proton trapping through electrostatic repulsion between the dopant and proton.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

"I find the repulsion system fascinating," Mizuta said.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

Even in regions where there were more matter particles than average, the gravitational attraction of the matter would have been outweighed by the repulsion of the effective cosmological constant.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking