repel

1 of 2

verb

re·​pel ri-ˈpel 

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

repeller

2 of 2

noun

re·​pel·​ler

-lə(r)

plural -s

: one that repels

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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").

Synonyms of repel

Verb

• repulse
• resist

Examples of repel in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

Uganda is withdrawing troops deployed for years in Somalia under an African Union peacekeeping force that helped repel militants in the Horn of Africa nation, military authorities said on Monday. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

Bringing them together is difficult because nuclei carry positive electrical charges and repel each other. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026

Use bulb cages or buried layers of hardware cloth to repel rodents, and try adding tree guards and fencing to fend off larger animals. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 28 Oct. 2026

The coating allows fibers to repel liquids—even alcohol—without surface treatments by adding during melt processing. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Verb

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

Rhymes for repel

• barbell
• bedwell
• befell
• bluebell
• bombshell
• bridewell
• capelle
• cartel
• carvel
• clamshell
• cogswell
• compel

Kids Definition

repel

verb

re·​pel ri-ˈpel 

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