repellent

adjective

ri-ˈpe-lənt How to pronounce repellent (audio)
variants also repellant
Definition of repellentnext
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment your snobbish behavior towards my friends is so repellent I can't stand to be around you anymore

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of repellent While there’s evidence that some plant extracts may have repellant properties, that doesn’t mean lining your deck with these plants will work. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 3 July 2026 Mosquito-repellent stickers, sprays and rodent repellent pouches designed to help protect both your home and outdoor spaces. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 For tick prevention, Hayes recommends long pants tucked into socks, duct tape wrapped sticky-side out around the ankle, and chemical repellents over essential-oil products — pointing readers to the EPA’s repellent search engine to find effective options. — Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2026 To be clear, this isn’t a repellent but actually an insecticide. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for repellent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repellent
  1. disgusting
  2. ugly
  3. awful
  4. horrible
  5. sickening
  6. obnoxious
  7. hideous
  8. shocking
Adjective
  • In a series distinguished by copious disgusting battle scenes, Ormund co-stars in one of its very grossest—a gross-on-gross-on-gross flambé—and almost gets in one last barf.
    — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • His central characters can be nasty, disgusting, violent, hysterically cruel, and passionately consumed.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • Some of the coverage may be ugly and unfair, but isn’t obscurity worse?
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The City of Atlanta and Fulton County’s Board of Commissioners have been trading negotiations over the sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center, and things have started to get ugly.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • The disease still makes lots of people feel awful for a week or two, foiling their summer vacations and forcing them to miss work and school.
    — Rob Stein, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Singing in the shower, gardening, baking, and writing poetry (yes, even awful poetry) are all good options.
    — Laura Bradley, HEALTH, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • After years of seeing enough photos of fabulous wealth and horrible tragedy, these types of images cease to shock us.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But the horrible jobs data suggests the central bank may have to think about weakening consumer spending as well.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • As health officials pointed to a Mexican processing plant run by Taylor Farms as the source of a parasite sickening Americans, the giant produce company rushed to defend itself.
    — Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The vote followed roughly six hours of emotional testimony from dozens of residents from across southeast Los Angeles County who pleaded for the air district to take action to require Lineage to do more to suppress sickening odors.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of sickening
Adjective
  • Stuff like Caitlin Clark getting mugged with no foul being called, or Sophie Cunningham pointing at some obnoxious player, or ESPN drooling over a coach wearing a pro-trans shirt.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the running frenemy dynamic between senior trooper Thorny (Chandrasekhar) and his coarse, obnoxious colleague Farva (Kevin Heffernan) takes more strain than usual when Farva becomes engaged to Thorny’s sister Sarita (Hannah Simone).
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of obnoxious
Adjective
  • Illiteracy, and its centuries-long ongoing epidemic, is hideous.
    — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 21 July 2026
  • The ace endured a rocky start punctuated by a hideous 11-run blowup in Minnesota and has now been sidelined with a shoulder injury since April 26.
    — Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
Definition of hideous
Adjective
  • Lindsay Hubbard, one of the stars of Bravo’s Summer House, was doing an on-camera interview for a different reality show when shocking news broke that two of her Summer House castmates had gotten together.
    — The Deadline Team, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Wells, 39, laid his gloves down in the Octagon after the shocking victory.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of shocking

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repellency
repellent
repelling
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Cite this Entry

“Repellent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repellent. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on repellent

Nglish: Translation of repellent for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about repellent

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