repulsive

1 of 2

adjective

re·​pul·​sive ri-ˈpəl-siv 

1

: serving or able to repulse

repulsive force

2

: tending to repel or reject : cold, forbidding

3

: arousing aversion or disgust

repulsive crimes

repulsively adverb

repulsiveness noun

repulsiveness

2 of 2

noun

re·​pul·​sive·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being repulsive

the moral repulsiveness of the race theory

—A. J. Toynbee

Synonyms of repulsive

Adjective

• disgusting
• ugly
• sickening
• awful
• horrible
• hideous
• obnoxious
• shocking
• obscene
• offensive
• dreadful

Examples of repulsive in a Sentence

Adjective

Magnets have a repulsive effect on each other.

a repulsive display of shameless flattery that made the embarrassed actor wrinkle his nose in disgust

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The corpse stink was, at first, slightly too repulsive to unleash on the Field Museum’s unsuspecting visitors, so it was toned down slightly. —Rj MacKenzie, Popular Science, 11 June 2026

This provision is equally repulsive. —Austin Elias-De Jesus, New Yorker, 3 June 2026

And Mary’s electric, palpably physical pursuit of justice becomes even more crucial in the final act, after a grotesque display of performative mockery toward Māori culture fractures the last remnants of civility present amid one of Cole’s lavish-yet-repulsive gatherings. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 May 2026

However repulsive the allegations leveled at Gaiman, there’s no getting rid of him. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 13 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English repulsyve "(in medicine) dissipating collected humors," borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French repulsif "repelling, dissipating humors," borrowed from Medieval Latin repulsīvus, from Latin repulsus, past participle of repellere "to push away, drive back, fend off" + -īvus -ive — more at repel

First Known Use

Adjective

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for repulsive

• compulsive
• convulsive
• expulsive
• impulsive
• propulsive
• electroconvulsive

Kids Definition

repulsive

adjective

re·​pul·​sive ri-ˈpəl-siv 

: causing disgust

repulsively adverb

repulsiveness noun