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

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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

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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

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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
Noun
Larger than life, his creation repulses and torments him, and Victor spends the rest of his life both running from it and trying to destroy it. — Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024 The optical, stop-motion, and puppetry effects alone should make Brain Damage a priority on your watchlist, but Henenlotter’s film excites and repulses on a deeper level. — Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
Verb
Anyone who has worked in or observed the media industry for the last couple of decades will recognize and be repulsed by nepo-baby Jay, who is undeniably villainous. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026 Floyd, distraught by his own physical failures, is nevertheless repulsed by the sight of Carol in her big, burly ump gear. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 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
  • In the span of a single week, the dismissal of a Ukrainian defense minister set in motion a transformation of the country’s armed forces that replaced the old guard with a new generation of leadership.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • Having disposed of the timeliness issue, the appeal court next turned to the merits of the dismissal of RCA's causes of action under the Hawaii UPEPA.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of dismissal
Verb
  • In 2017, the Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine went to a team of French researchers who used advanced brain-scanning technology to measure the extent to which some people are disgusted by fromage.
    — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026
  • Kim The call left Kim Grindell disgusted, furious and wracked with guilt.
    — Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 20 June 2026
Definition of disgust
Verb
  • During the Iran-Iraq War of 1980–88, which Khomeini prolonged for several years after repelling the Iraqi invasion, a disproportionate burden fell on Iranians in the southwestern and western provinces.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • Some of these hacks include mixing baking soda and sugar, putting bay leaves around cabinets and under appliances and repelling roaches with essential oils.
    — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 16 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
  • Cyclosporiasis has been sickening thousands of people across the country, particularly in Michigan, recently with an intestinal illness causing explosive diarrhea with severe stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, fatigue, and unintended weight loss.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026
  • Cyclosporiasis is an illness caused by a pathogen in tainted produce, which has already sickened thousands of Americans this summer.
    — Taylor Swinton, Washington Post, 17 July 2026
Definition of sicken
Verb
  • However, the connection between these filaments and supermassive black holes has been elusive, meaning this mechanism has resisted confirmation.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 July 2026
  • For example, if your place has a dining room, resist the temptation to squeeze in a table for six when a normal-size table for four would be more comfortable.
    — Andee Tagle, NPR, 19 July 2026
Definition of resist
Noun
  • These June 30 rejections include supplemental health benefits, a night shift differential, geographic pay differential, a recruitment and retention proposal, seniority differential and overtime meal benefits, according to the complaint.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
  • So where does this incredibly predictable rejection leave Golden State?
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
Definition of rejection
Verb
  • He was appalled by the slaughter, but, more than that, by the complacency of his neighbors, their willingness to ignore the bloody work being done under their noses.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • Many subjects were appalled by his treatment of his closest family.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 9 July 2026
Definition of appall

Browse Nearby Words

repugnant
repulse
repulsed
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Cite this Entry

“Repulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repulse. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of repulse for Spanish Speakers

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