repel

verb re·pel \ ri-ˈpel \

Definition of repel

repelled; repelling

transitive verb

1 a :to drive back :repulse

b :to fight against :resist

2 :turn away, reject

repelled the insinuation

3 a :to drive away :discourage

foul words and frowns must not repel a lover
—William Shakespeare

b :to be incapable of adhering to, mixing with, taking up, or holding

c :to force away or apart or tend to do so by mutual action at a distance

4 :to cause aversion in :disgust

intransitive verb

:to cause aversion

—

repeller

noun

See repel defined for English-language learners

See repel defined for kids

Examples of repel in a Sentence

a fabric that repels water
Their superior forces repelled the invasion.
Two positive electrical charges repel each other.
Magnets can both repel and attract one another.

Recent Examples of repel from the Web

On the sixteenth day of August, O'Brien was in a fleet of British aeroplanes that set forth to repel an attack.

— kitty conley, Post-Tribune, "Crown Point Star Newspaper Almanac," 28 Aug. 2017
Some folks have found dense plantings of dill or other odorific herbs around tomatoes repels leafhoppers (or at least seems to).

— margaret lauterbach, idahostatesman, "Spider mites harm plants but are easy to control," 23 Aug. 2017
Or fill your planters with these mosquito-repelling plants.

— jamie wiebe, House Beautiful, "The Sneaky Places Mosquitoes Hide in Your Yard," 6 Aug. 2017
It’s unclear if that’s enough to attract senators like Collins, Murkowski, and McCain, without repelling conservatives like Cruz, Lee, and Paul.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "The GOP’s Latest Health Care Gambit," 1 Aug. 2017
It was repelled by Trump the man, but tickled by Trump the icon of rebellion.

— t.a. frank, The Hive, "Letter to a MAGA Nation: It’s Time to Let Go of Trump," 27 July 2017
That dignity is sullied by a government that forces its people to serve as unwilling vessels for beliefs that repel them.

— ethan blevins, National Review, "Should Landlords Be Forced to Subsidize Others’ Speech?," 14 July 2017
Nuclei all have positive electric charges, and since like charges repel each other, this means that the nuclear banging together needs to be pretty forceful.

— The Economist, "If the universe was not “fine-tuned”Reflections on the fine-structure constant," 13 July 2017
After repelling numerous and costly attacks by human soldiers led by the Colonel (Harrelson), Caesar heads north on a revenge mission while the rest of his tribe retreats.

— jon niccum, kansascity, "‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ looks so real it’s downright disturbing," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'repel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

When To Use repel

Since re- can mean not just "again" but also "back", repel means "drive back". Repel has two common adjective forms; thus, a repellent or repulsive odor may drive us into the other room. Its main noun form is repulsion. Magnets exhibit both attraction and repulsion, and the goal of an armed defense is the repulsion of an enemy; but we generally use repulsion to mean "strong dislike". In recent years, repulse has been increasingly used as a synonym for repel ("That guy repulses me").

Origin and Etymology of repel

Middle English repellen, from Middle French repeller, from Latin repellere, from re- + pellere to drive — more at felt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

repel Synonyms

Synonyms

beat off, fend (off), rebut, repulse, stave off, turn away, turn back

Antonyms

bow (to), capitulate (to), give in (to), knuckle under (to), stoop (to), submit (to), succumb (to), surrender (to), yield (to)

Related Words

defy, fight, hold off, oppose, resist, stand off, withstand; deflect, ward (off); rebuff, snub, spurn

Near Antonyms

embrace, hail, welcome

REPEL Defined for English Language Learners

repel

verb

Definition of repel for English Language Learners

: to keep (something) out or away
: to force (an enemy, attacker, etc.) to stop an attack and turn away
physics : to force (something) to move away or apart

REPEL Defined for Kids

repel

verb re·pel \ ri-ˈpel \

Definition of repel for Students

repelled; repelling

1 :to drive back

We tried to repel the enemy.

2 :to push away

Two magnets can repel each other.

3 :to keep out :resist

The cloth is treated to repel water.

4 :²disgust

The sight repelled everyone.

Word Root of repel

The Latin word pellere, meaning “to cause to move” or “to drive,” gives us the root pel. Words from the Latin pellere have something to do with driving or causing something to move. To propel is to drive forward. To compel is to drive someone to do something. To expel is to drive out. To repel is to drive back or away.