repel

verb

re·​pel ri-ˈpel How to pronounce repel (audio)
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 loverWilliam 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

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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").

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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tarar said the militants had attempted to attack Pakistan during the ceasefire period, but that Pakistan had repelled the attacks, killing more than 100 fighters. Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025 This polarization means even post-Trump, Democrats may cling to divisive issues like defund-the-police echoes or aggressive cultural wars, repelling the non-ideological public weary of extremes. Nafees Alam, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025 Washington has recently appeared to grow more amenable to resuming military backing for Kyiv’s push to repel Russia’s invasion. Ben Smith, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025 Among the tasks for the troops were repelling migrants and, at least in one instance, troops used tear gas on a group of Venezuelan migrants at the border. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for repel

Word History

Etymology

Middle English repellen, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French repeller, borrowed from Latin repellere "to push away, drive back, fend off," from re- re- + pellere "to beat against, push, strike, rouse" — more at pulse entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of repel was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Repel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repel. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

repel

verb
re·​pel ri-ˈpel How to pronounce repel (audio)
repelled; repelling
1
a
: to drive back
repel the enemy
b
: to fight against : resist
2
: to refuse to accept : reject
repel a suggestion
3
a
: to be incapable of sticking to, mixing with, taking up, or holding
a fabric that repels water
b
: to force away or apart or tend to do so by mutual action at a distance
two like electrical charges repel each other
4
: disgust
a sight that repelled everyone
repeller noun

More from Merriam-Webster on repel

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