as in disgust
a dislike so strong as to cause stomach upset or queasiness
could barely contain her repugnance of frogs and nearly threw up when she found out we'd have to dissect one in science class
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Recent Examples of repugnance
Brianna seems to swing between two moods: intense enthusiasm, intense repugnance.
—
Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
In fact, the retort could lead people to dangerously belittle the scourge and repugnance of real anti-Semitism.
—Salam Fayyad, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2024
The series gets darker and more grotesque as the season progresses, and our uncomfortable laughter eventually fades into a grimace of repugnance.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 10 July 2023
Though historically dubious, Thirteentherism is rhetorically useful in mobilizing moral repugnance at chattel slavery to protest present-day prison conditions, as if current abuses aren’t sufficient cause for indignation.
—Sean Wilentz, The New York Review of Books, 1 Dec. 2022
News of Donald Trump’s recent soiree at Mar-a-Lago with Nicholas Fuentes, a man whose repugnance stands in inverse relationship to his intellectual capacity, reminds us that the former and perhaps future president’s ability to attain new levels of notoriety remains impressively undimmed.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 28 Nov. 2022
Police in the United States are not supposed to police ideology, and the repugnance of offensive speech, such as Nazi symbols or overtly racist rhetoric, is not relevant to whether it’s protected under the Constitution, said David Siegel, a professor at New England Law | Boston.
—Danny McDonald, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2022
Some combination of awe and repugnance and confusion that she’s spent so many of her obviously prodigious talents spinning stories for men who need their stories spun.
—Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2020
The debate still rages, fuelled more by the wisdom of repugnance than by data.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 23 Feb. 2010
Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
In fact, the retort could lead people to dangerously belittle the scourge and repugnance of real anti-Semitism.
—Salam Fayyad, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2024
The series gets darker and more grotesque as the season progresses, and our uncomfortable laughter eventually fades into a grimace of repugnance.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 10 July 2023
Though historically dubious, Thirteentherism is rhetorically useful in mobilizing moral repugnance at chattel slavery to protest present-day prison conditions, as if current abuses aren’t sufficient cause for indignation.
—Sean Wilentz, The New York Review of Books, 1 Dec. 2022
News of Donald Trump’s recent soiree at Mar-a-Lago with Nicholas Fuentes, a man whose repugnance stands in inverse relationship to his intellectual capacity, reminds us that the former and perhaps future president’s ability to attain new levels of notoriety remains impressively undimmed.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 28 Nov. 2022
Police in the United States are not supposed to police ideology, and the repugnance of offensive speech, such as Nazi symbols or overtly racist rhetoric, is not relevant to whether it’s protected under the Constitution, said David Siegel, a professor at New England Law | Boston.
—Danny McDonald, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2022
Some combination of awe and repugnance and confusion that she’s spent so many of her obviously prodigious talents spinning stories for men who need their stories spun.
—Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2020
The debate still rages, fuelled more by the wisdom of repugnance than by data.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 23 Feb. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repugnance
Noun
-
While the first two horsemen are concerned with frustration and blame, contempt serves to convey disgust.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
So, at the ripe old age of 42, and much to his family’s disgust, Paul takes up the life of the artist, leaving (presumably rent-free) in his aunt’s surprisingly sizable studio flat in a suburb of Paris.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Rivalries that are long in tenure and thick with hatred define college sports in the Deep South, where football is second only to faith in some places.—
Quentin Corpuel,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Examples abound of men with histories of misogyny – often expressed online – who go on to commit violent crimes in the name of their hatred.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The respected journo most recently discussed his distaste for Drake and Althoff’s first interview after watching a preview for their latest chat on The Bigger Picture.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Iran’s leaders still had their old distaste for direct confrontation.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Moore previously served as the defense attorney for Louise and David Turpin, the California couple who abused and imprisoned their 13 children and dependent adults in a 'house of horrors' for years.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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The Hateful Eight and also headlined the horror-Western Bone Tomahawk, which featured Fox in a supporting role.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Repugnance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repugnance. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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