repulse 1 of 2

noun

Definition of repulsenext
as in dismissal
treatment that is deliberately unfriendly the waiter's incredibly rude repulse of our polite request for a better table—one that wasn't right next to the kitchen—prompted us to walk out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

repulse

2 of 2

verb

ri-ˈpəls How to pronounce repulse (audio)
1
as in to disgust
to cause to feel disgust the smell of that town's paper mill totally repulses me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to repel
to drive back the defense repeatedly repulsed all of the offense's attempts to move the ball forward, keeping them firmly planted on the 20-yard line

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 repulse
Verb
Spearmint and peppermint plants are particularly effective insect repellents, but many other plants in the mint family can also be used to repulse flies, including pennyroyal and lemon balm. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 June 2026 Cilantro, a polarizing herb that’s either adored in Mexican, Southeast Asian, and Indian cuisines, or repulsed by those who detect a nauseating soapy taste. — Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026 Nick is hired by a mafia don to confirm and then steal a priceless manuscript said to be Dante’s original Divine Comedy in his own hand, dragging Nick into an underworld he’s both repulsed by and complicit in. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026 Firstman’s debut directorial effort, Club Kid, shrewdly acknowledges those garish personality tics, which have both endeared and repulsed audiences. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for repulse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repulse
  1. dismissal
  2. disgust
  3. repel
  4. rebuff
  5. sicken
  6. resist
  7. rejection
  8. appall
Noun
  • The insensitive promotion was swiftly canceled, leading to the CEO's dismissal, a public apology, and mandatory history training for 24,000 employees.
    — Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • But the European Court of Justice dismissal on Thursday marks the end of that process.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of dismissal
Verb
  • Kim The call left Kim Grindell disgusted, furious and wracked with guilt.
    — Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 20 June 2026
  • Many of the crew members are disgusted by Vito's homosexuality, but Phil seems to take special exception to this revelation, going out of his way to demand Tony take him out and becoming violently angered even at the mere mention of Vito's name.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Definition of disgust
Verb
  • Earlier Friday, the Ukrainian military's General Staff reported repelling 24 Russian assaults near Kostyantynivka and other settlements.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Body on the line 💪 But that was not the Wan-Bissaka who repelled Rashford’s attacking threat as England toiled at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
    — Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of repel
Noun
  • Despite the Reina Sofía’s many refusals to lend the work to various institutions around the world, its rebuff of the Guggenheim’s request carries a particular sting because the Basque Country has long held that the painting belongs in the place where the depicted tragedy occurred.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The latest rebuff of state overreach was the dismissal last week of the highly questionable felony case against respected Waukegan City Clerk Janet Kilkelly brought by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.
    — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of rebuff
Verb
  • More than 100 passengers were sickened in a recent norovirus outbreak on the Ruby Princess cruise ship that departed from California last month and arrived back at port Thursday.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The life-threatening species that's found in water can also sicken or kill people who eat contaminated seafood, such as raw oysters infected with the bacteria.
    — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of sicken
Verb
  • Under owner Arte Moreno, the Angels have resisted rebuilding, preferring to add lower-tier free agents and rush college players to the major leagues in an effort to field a competitive roster.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Are the foundations laid in 1776 and 1789 still strong enough and sound enough to resist the tremors of our times?
    — Susan Page, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of resist
Noun
  • Using basic academic terminology would place grants at risk of rejection or termination on political grounds.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
  • That persisted into 2026 amid disagreements over the Russian war on Ukraine, including Meloni’s rejection of a proposal by Britain and France to send European troops there following a possible ceasefire.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of rejection
Verb
  • The other Israelites are appalled by this heinous action and go to war against the Benjaminites, who are nearly destroyed before an eventual reconciliation (Judges 20–21).
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
  • My friend told me some private information about him that appalled me.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
Definition of appall

Browse Nearby Words

repugnant
repulse
repulsed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Repulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repulse. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on repulse

Nglish: Translation of repulse for Spanish Speakers

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All