repellent

adjective

re·pel·lent | \ri-ˈpe-lənt

variants: or less commonly repellant

Definition of repellent

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : serving or tending to drive away or ward off —often used in combination a mosquito-repellent spray

2 : arousing aversion or disgust : repulsive

repellent

noun

variants: or less commonly repellant

Definition of repellent (Entry 2 of 2)

: something that repels especially : a substance that repels insects

Other Words from repellent Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about repellent

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of repellent in a Sentence

Adjective

The candle has a repellent effect on insects. your snobbish behavior towards my friends is so repellent I can't stand to be around you anymore

Noun

a can of insect repellent Coat the exterior with a water repellent.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Suddenly, every slur, insult, and caricature seems like a golden opportunity to commodify and profit from the most repellent sound bites. — Sonia K. Katyal, BostonGlobe.com, "The sudden rush of vulgar trademarks," 23 June 2018 Meanwhile, national Republicans have been coping with a Hobbesian choice between losing a Senate seat or tainting themselves by association with a bizarre and repellent Old South character right out of Flannery O’Connor. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Alabama Preview: Turnout Will Win It For Moore or Jones, But Republicans Will Have a Headache Either Way," 11 Dec. 2017 But the tactic became far more effective — indeed, electorally triumphant — when the actions being profiled were so genuinely repellent to much of the country. — Berny Belvedere, National Review, "Yes, the Democratic Party’s Polarization Helps Explain Trump’s Rise," 11 Oct. 2017 Nevertheless, the types who surfaced in Charlottesville on Saturday are certainly human beings of the most repellent and disgusting sort, murderous too—pretty much violent, evil sociopaths. — WSJ, "Notable & Quotable: The White Supremacist Fringe," 13 Aug. 2017 The history of politically inexperienced, personally repellent third-rate television personalities with anger issues who managed to parlay their fame into high office does not begin with Donald Trump. — Kyle Smith, National Review, "Al Franken, Un-Funny Man of the Senate," 7 Aug. 2017 But this documentary posits a revision of food history, chronicling the life of the magnetic, repellent man who changed American dining, then disappeared. — Seattle Times Staff, The Seattle Times, "9 movies open May 5; our reviewers weigh in," 5 May 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Officials urged normal tick prevention, such as tick repellents, tucked-in clothing, and regular tick checks, to stop not just the Longhorned tick, but all bloodsuckers. — Washington Post, "Rare type of tick inexplicably turns up in Arkansas," 12 June 2018 One may call it God’s rough justice that the repellent Mr. Jones was banned. — Daniel Henninger, WSJ, "Alex Jones, Meet Peter Strzok," 15 Aug. 2018 Spray insect repellent with deet or permethrin and wear long sleeves and pants to help protect your skin from these blood-drinking parasites. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "QUIZ: Can You Identify These Dangerous Summer Plants and Bugs?," 3 Aug. 2018 Image Family cycles of grief and trauma are this book’s dominant theme; Stone’s exploration is Hieronymus Bosch-like: blithely cluttered, compellingly repellent. — Daisy Fried, New York Times, "Sex, Death, Suffering and Surrealism, in New Books of Poetry," 6 July 2018 Keep those bugs at bay A universal precaution is to wear repellent. — Don Behm, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Heading outdoors? Here's how to protect yourself from a full bloom of mosquitoes and ticks in Wisconsin," 30 May 2018 The suspect was a police officer in Auburn during the 1970s, but fired after he was accused of shoplifting a hammer and dog repellent, according to a 1979 newspaper article. — Anchorage Daily News, "Suspect in Golden State Killer case, an ex-police officer, is arrested after decades," 25 Apr. 2018 Consider using tick repellents like DEET for skin and permethrin for clothing. — Dennis Thompson, CBS News, "Ticks that carry Lyme disease are spreading fast," 13 July 2018 Residents are encouraged to take precaution when venturing outdoors: tuck pants into socks, use a repellent with DEET, and do frequent tick-checks to avoid the possibility of contracting an illness. — Lara Korte, WSJ, "Long Islanders Take Shelter From Tick Threat This Summer," 1 July 2018

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