repulsive

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adjective re·pul·sive \ -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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repulsively

adverb

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repulsiveness

noun

See repulsive defined for English-language learners

See repulsive defined for kids

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 of repulsive from the Web

That comment is one of the most repulsive comments made by a President of the United States in decades.

— karly matthews, Seventeen, "6 Conservative Students Slam Trump's Reaction to White Supremacists in Charlottesville," 17 Aug. 2017
The ACLU’s commitment to defending free speech rights is driven by the concern that carving out exceptions, even for the most repulsive language, could later be used to censor other, more acceptable, forms of speech.

— henry gass, The Christian Science Monitor, "Free-speech challenge: Can First and Second Amendments be exercised simultaneously?," 13 Aug. 2017
In the age of Dr. Pimple Popper, the previously repulsive act of pimple-popping has become an almost euphoric experience.

— sarah kinonen, Allure, "This Woman's Pimple-Popping Leads to Staph Infection, Then Goes Viral," 8 Aug. 2017
And yet, Trump’s allies have ignored their pain and their pleas, degrading the office of the president by spreading repulsive lies.

— david weigel, Washington Post, "Sean Spicer claimed to be unaware of Seth Rich story after meeting with donor who pushed it," 1 Aug. 2017
Dugan, the once great baseball star, is a character that is all parts repulsive, endearing, and predictable.

— hanif willis-abdurraqib, Esquire, "What Makes A League of Their Own One of the Best Baseball Movies Ever Made," 30 June 2017
The name of this repulsive villain — who is so lacking in decency as to shoot big game in Africa — is no less than Doug Strutt, which will strike different viewers as either stinging and hilarious or blunt to the point of numbskullery.

— walter addiego, idahostatesman, "Good intentions fall short in ‘Beatriz at Dinner’," 22 June 2017
Rent-seeking is lucrative, which is why there is so much of it, even when its pedigree is repulsive.

— george f. will, The Denver Post, "The demolition of a 1931 law would make building much cheaper," 17 June 2017
The name of this repulsive villain — who is so lacking in decency as to shoot big game in Africa — is no less than Doug Strutt, which will strike different viewers as either stinging and hilarious or blunt to the point of numbskullery.

— walter addiego, star-telegram.com, "‘Beatriz at Dinner’ is a cinematic light lunch," 15 June 2017

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.