repel
Americanverb (used with object)
-
repels,
present (3rd person singular)
-
repelled,
past participle, past
-
repelling
present participle
-
to drive or force back (an assailant, invader, etc.).
- Antonyms:
- attract
-
to thrust back or away.
-
to resist effectively (an attack, onslaught, etc.).
-
to keep off or out; fail to mix with.
Water and oil repel each other.
-
to resist the absorption or passage of (water or other liquid).
This coat repels rain.
-
to refuse to have to do with; resist involvement in.
to repel temptation.
-
to refuse to accept or admit; reject.
to repel a suggestion.
-
to discourage the advances of (a person).
He repelled me with his harshness.
-
to cause distaste or aversion in.
Their untidy appearance repelled us.
-
to push back or away by a force, as one body acting upon another (opposed to attract).
The north pole of one magnet will repel the north pole of another.
verb (used without object)
-
repels,
present (3rd person singular)
-
repelled,
past participle, past
-
repelling
present participle
-
to act with a force that drives or keeps away something.
-
to cause distaste or aversion.
verb
-
to force or drive back (something or somebody, esp an attacker)
-
(also intr) to produce a feeling of aversion or distaste in (someone or something); be disgusting (to)
-
to push aside; dismiss
he repelled the suggestion as wrong and impossible
-
to be effective in keeping away, controlling, or resisting
an aerosol spray that repels flies
-
to have no affinity for; fail to mix with or absorb
water and oil repel each other
-
to disdain to accept (something); turn away from or spurn
she repelled his advances
-
(also intr) to exert an opposing force on (something)
an electric charge repels another charge of the same sign
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
nonrepellencenoun
-
nonrepellencynoun
-
nonrepellernoun
-
repellencenoun
-
repellencynoun
-
repellernoun
-
repellingnessnoun
-
self-repellencynoun
-
unrepelledadjective
-
repellinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
repelsimple
-
repelssimple
-
have repelledperfect
-
has repelledperfect
-
am repellingprogressive
-
are repellingprogressive
-
is repellingprogressive
-
have been repellingperfect progressive
-
has been repellingperfect progressive
Past
-
repelledsimple
-
had repelledperfect
-
was repellingprogressive
-
were repellingprogressive
-
had been repellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of repel
1350–1400; Middle English repellen < Latin repellere to drive back, equivalent to re- re- + pellere to drive, push; see repulse
Explanation
Use the verb repel when you want to turn something away. You might drench yourself in bug spray to repel the mosquitoes that plague you when you go camping. This versatile word can be used in relation to everything from bugs to unwanted romantic advances. The word repel can be used to describe the act of driving something away, as in the case of bugs or other pesky critters, including potential suitors. It can also be used to describe something that causes disgust or distaste. For example, the thought of eating snails might repel you.
Vocabulary lists containing repel
Electricity and Magnetism - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Physics - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Bulgaria is a major weapons supplier to Ukraine, as it continues to repel a full-scale Russian invasion launched in 2022.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Because objects with the same charge normally push away from each other, DNA molecules might be expected to repel one another.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
Drone strikes beyond the battlefield pump up market for technology to repel them.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
It’s meant to contrast with the walls designed to repel refugees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
Harry had his wand raised, waiting on tenterhooks to repel a jinx that seemed unlikely ever to come.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
At the surface, the foam develops an extremely rough texture that strongly repels water, much like the surface of a lotus leaf.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
In one part of the conveyor system, a vibrating panel called an eddy current creates a sort of reverse magnet that repels nonferrous materials like aluminum beverage cans into their own collection area.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
“Bug spray repels them like it repels any other insect, so you just have to kind of hope that you don’t get eaten alive,” Reaves said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
In the northern Danish city of Aalborg, the firm MyDefence makes equipment that jams and repels drones.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2025
“A shield that repels germs while it gently cleanses your pores, leaving a spanking-clean exterior.”
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
Nigerien forces had repelled the attack "with the assistance of servicemen of the African Corps of the Russian Ministry of Defence", the foreign ministry in Moscow said on Sunday.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
"Debris has been reported in the area of the port of Vysotsk," Drozdenko said on social media early Saturday, while saying the "attack was still being repelled."
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
They were briefly repelled by a security guard, who along with two other victims in the parking lot, alerted people at the center and police to the attack, saving lives.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
“The country seems to have become somewhat frozen in time after the liberation,” said Edward “Skip” Gnehm Jr., who was U.S. ambassador when the invasion was repelled and continued to visit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
“Who are you?” said Lyra, who was just as repelled as Will.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
But streaming distribution doesn’t matter if you’re still producing the same old content that’s repelling viewers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
If elected, Wadagni is expected to be able to count on the loyalty of the army, which played a decisive role in repelling an attempted coup against Talon in December.
From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026
It’s almost perfect, in other words, for repelling crowds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
The rod-shaped CSV nanocrystals improve how well the perovskite precursor spreads across the typically water repelling SAM surface, allowing for more uniform coverage.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 1, 2026
Instead of repelling herself to a safe altitude, Holly crumpled onto the troll’s back, becoming instantly entangled in the ropy fur.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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.
