repellent

adjective

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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 combinationa 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

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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 People who had never considered needing protection now carry mace and bear repellent. — Washington Post, "The riot is over, but fear remains in the nation’s capital," 13 Jan. 2021 That’s why finding the best insect repellent for them is so important. — Outdoor Life Staff, Outdoor Life, "Best Mosquito Repellent: Find the Right Insect Control for You," 11 Jan. 2021 It can be used as a lubricant, rust preventative, medication for insect bites, water repellent, even as a floatant for flies and fly lines. — Field & Stream, "F&S Classics: Tap’s Tips," 20 Nov. 2020 Another essential for a night of sky watching in warm weather is good bug repellent. — Dana Holmes, CNN Underscored, "A beginner’s guide to stargazing," 18 Aug. 2020 The lavender plant is used for everything from bug repellent to cookie recipes. — Nancy Clanton, ajc, "Let a master gardener teach you to grow lavender at home," 8 Jan. 2021 Ideally, a user deploys bear repellent when a charging bear is still 30 to 60 feet away. — Outdoor Life, "Best Bear Spray: Five Things to Consider," 5 Jan. 2021 But nobody thinks politics is much fun anymore, and the notion of covering politics as an amoral sport has become repellent to Americans. — New York Times, "They Seem to Think the Next Four Years Will Be Normal," 3 Jan. 2021 Timberland also offers water- and stain-repellent sprays, and protective waxes and balms. — Sian Babish, chicagotribune.com, "The best Timberland boot for women," 23 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun This bear repellent has a fogger delivery system which deploys bear deterrent at distances up to 20 feet from the user and has two firing options. — Outdoor Life, "Best Bear Spray: Five Things to Consider," 5 Jan. 2021 The bugs were back — twizzling scrums of gnats and mosquitoes in their post-winter hordes — and the wind was toxin-free repellent. — Peter M. Leschak, Star Tribune, "'Hope is the thing left us in a bad time'," 24 Dec. 2020 The company, which also makes household products such as Doom insect repellent, declared a special dividend of 1.33 rand per share following the disposal of its meat processing business. — Gemma Gatticchi, Bloomberg.com, "Tiger Brands Cuts 400 Jobs as CEO Strives to Reduce Costs," 20 Nov. 2020 In its concentrated form, peppermint is sometimes used as an insect repellent, and its oil has been shown to repel the adults and kill the larvae and eggs of several species. — Christopher Michel, Good Housekeeping, "8 Mosquito Repellent Plants to Keep Pests Away From Your Garden," 1 July 2020 To help reduce the risk of infection, experts suggest using a mosquito repellent when outdoors and avoiding being outside at dusk, which is a peak time for mosquito activity. — Alicia Fabbre, chicagotribune.com, "West Nile virus shows up in southwest suburban mosquitoes, but no human cases," 5 Sep. 2020 On an individual level, people can cover their skin with long-sleeve clothes and hats and use mosquito repellent on skin or in areas where people may gather like backyards or other outdoor areas. — Austen Erblat, sun-sentinel.com, "Disease-carrying mosquitoes surface in South Florida. Health officials urge West Nile precautions.," 25 Aug. 2020 This repellent was also extremely greasy and took a while to dry. — Kai Burkhardt, CNN Underscored, "The best bug sprays of 2020," 20 Aug. 2020 The move brings nootkatone, considered a biopesticide, an insect repellent derived from natural ingredients, one step closer to inclusion in a consumer insecticide. — Abby Smith, Washington Examiner, "New bug repellent ingredient based on grapefruit skin registered by EPA," 10 Aug. 2020

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.