repulsive

adjective

re·pul·sive | \ri-ˈpəl-siv

Definition of repulsive

1 : serving or able to repulse repulsive force

2 : tending to repel or reject : cold, forbidding

3 : arousing aversion or disgust repulsive crimes

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Examples of repulsive in a Sentence

Magnets have a repulsive effect on each other. a repulsive display of shameless flattery that made the embarrassed actor wrinkle his nose in disgust

Recent Examples on the Web

The sentiments expressed by the organizers of Sunday's rally are repulsive. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "Trump condemns “all types of racism and acts of violence” ahead of Unite the Right 2," 11 Aug. 2018 Stephen Douglas wanted to tie the expansion of slavery, society’s most repulsive idea, to the rule of democracy, society’s most noble idea. — Randy Blaser, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Rename Douglas Park — and do it for history's sake," 23 May 2018 As the film begins in 2028, a young Taiwanese nurse (Alina Tsai), known only by her employee number, is shown struggling with her repulsive routines and cramped living quarters in an Indonesian hospital. — Clarence Tsui, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Ten Years Taiwan': Film Review," 13 July 2018 And this repulsive encounter is worse than unhygienic: those feces spread microscopic parasites that cause Chagas disease. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, "How Tiny Trackers Could Help Humans Avoid Kissing Bugs’ Deadly Smooch," 9 July 2018 Giving him any money to rebuild his country would be doubly repulsive. — The Economist, "Syrian refugees could turn into the new Palestinians," 30 June 2018 Annie is a complicated character, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes outright repulsive. — Tasha Robinson, The Verge, "Ari Aster’s breakout horror hit Hereditary is pants-wettingly scary," 8 June 2018 On the face of it, the argument that society should be rearranged to accommodate these men is so repulsive that it should not be entertained. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Men Don't Have a Right to Sex," 4 May 2018 Durian are just about synonymous with their repulsive odor, which (to be fair) has whiffs of sweetness that are immediately overwhelmed by notes of corrosion and rancid egg. — Melinda Morris, NOLA.com, "Who boils the best crawfish in metro New Orleans? It's the last day to vote," 30 Apr. 2018

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