repel

verb

re·pel | \ ri-ˈpel

repelled; repelling

Definition of repel

transitive verb

1a : to drive back : repulse

b : to fight against : resist

2 : turn away, reject repelled the insinuation

3a : 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

Other Words from repel Synonyms When to Use Repel More Example Sentences Learn More about repel

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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

The Trump administration’s flurry of unilateral economic sanctioning has sometimes seemed crafted with the intention of repelling would-be allies, rather than persuading them to join U.S.-driven economic wars. — Phillip Dehne, Twin Cities, "Phillip Dehne: How World War I transformed economic warfare," 2 July 2019 The Kurds played a big role in repelling Islamic State (IS) in 2014-16, seeing off 16 assaults by the jihadists on Kirkuk. — The Economist, "Two years after a disastrous referendum, Iraq’s Kurds are prospering," 15 June 2019 While there is some variation among species, penguin feathers have features such as tiny interlocking barbs to trap air, hinder heat loss and repel water. — Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, "20 Things You Didn't Know About ... Penguins," 6 Nov. 2018 Torino, with their backs firmly pressed against the wall, stood strong and repelled the visitor's advances until the final whistle. — SI.com, "Torino 1-0 Inter: Il Toro Spring Surprise to Dent Nerazzurri's Champions League Qualification Plans," 8 Apr. 2018 What are your top three man repelling items for spring? — Veronique Hyland, Harper's BAZAAR, "Man Repelling With Rachel Roy This Valentine's Day," 25 Jan. 2011 During the war, tens of thousands of American troops were deployed to Adak to repel the Japanese invasion of Alaska. — Author: Paxson Woelber, Anchorage Daily News, "Trekking into the storm-battered, golden beauty of Adak Island," 17 June 2019 MagLev uses magnets to repel the keys back up after being pressed. — Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "Hands-on: Dell's XPS 13 2-in-1 gets thinner and 2.5x faster with Intel's 10th Core i7," 28 May 2019 Luckily, the shirt continued to repel water based stains with ease, so don't worry about that red wine drip. — Emma Seymour, Good Housekeeping, "This White Shirt Claims to Repel Stains — But Does It Work?," 16 May 2019

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.