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

Relevance

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 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 Spacey, who played the morally repellent politician Frank Underwood on the Netflix drama, was ousted from the series in 2017 not long after production began on the sixth and final season. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 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
  • To interrogate Fauci now, for absolutely no coherent reason and completely without sense, is shameful and disgusting.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The left's most hated author — JK Rowling — has dropped the hammer on the disgusting things that took place at the Indiana Fever-Seattle Storm game earlier this week.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • But, at the heart of it is what appears to be a very ugly feud between two public servants.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Damage goes deep Friday’s loss followed a much uglier version of the same problem.
    — Tyler M. Carmona, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • The battle sequences in this finale are awful, elaborate, and grotesque, especially Ormund using children as human shields and Daemon burning them alive.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • So, what does this mean for the markets, and us bystanders, in this awful situation?
    — Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 9 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
  • That’s why Law is a celebrity stylist; Law is known for curating sickening looks for his celebrity clients, but maybe sort of skimping out on himself, unfortunately.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 29 July 2026
  • There are also challenges for local businesses, which say customers are staying away because the stench is so sickening.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of sickening
Adjective
  • 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
  • Did Stevens outrun the final polls, in part, because some Democrats thought El-Sayed’s supporters were obnoxious?
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 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
  • The shocking lack of answers does not appear to be for a lack of resources, rather it highlights perceived investigative missteps along the way.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The shocking report was nevertheless cheered by investors, who took the weakness in the labor market as a sign that the Federal Reserve won’t hike rates in September.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of shocking

Browse Nearby Words

repellency
repellent
repelling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Repellent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repellent. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on repellent

Nglish: Translation of repellent for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about repellent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All