REPULSE Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

repulse 1 of 2

noun

Definition of repulse

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

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

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

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

Philly may be shedding its second-fiddle status, but it remains entirely repulsed by frauds and underachievers. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 July 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for repulse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for repulse

Noun

Cruz said that the dismissal of the rising cost of living led Republicans to be unsuccessful this election cycle.

— Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
Now, the Seminoles quarterback is being turned to as a stabilizing presence in what has been a turbulent week, after coach Mike Norvell’s dismissal.

— Bob Ferrante, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of dismissal

Verb

Leading brands, such as Cliganic, NATPAT and BugMD, use essential oils, like citronella and peppermint oil among others, as the active ingredients to repel pesty bloodsuckers.

— Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Ion-generating toothbrushes release charged particles to induce a polarity that helps repel plaque, for example.

— Mike McRae, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of repel

Noun

Perhaps this accident of birth is connected to the subtle rebuff of modern life in Marcon’s films.

— Matthew McLean, Artforum, 22 Sep. 2026
The rebuff contributes to the future civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, in which Rhaenyra battles her half-brother Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) for the seat of power.

— Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026

Definition of rebuff

Verb

The Aliso Canyon gas leak took nearly four months to control, sickened thousands of families and forced them from their homes near the San Fernando Valley to escape a sulfurous stench and maladies including headaches, nausea and nose bleeds.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
The finding also comes on the heels of a record-breaking cyclospora outbreak this summer that sickened 12,883 people across 21 states, hospitalized at least 570 and was associated with two deaths in Michigan.

— Megan R. Wilson, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of sicken

Verb

Anthropic researchers demonstrated this weakness by using Claude to generate seemingly innocent stories that taught other models to resist human oversight.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Judges failing to award fees and government agencies unreasonably resisting paying them make the problem even worse.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of resist

Noun

Democrats ousted Republicans from coast to coast, with many surprising places in between, in a decisive rejection of unified GOP control for the promise of something different for the country.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
The Democratic wins in Texas and rejection of data centers in ballots across the country are expected to create hurdles for data center plays.

— Michelle Fox, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of rejection

Verb

When James Kelman won the Booker Prize in 1994, the decision was met with disgust by the literary establishment, appalled by the profanity and the informality of the Glasgow drunk whose inner life the novel details.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
Not only were Democrats appalled, so were many conservatives inside the beltway and beyond.

— Frank Langfitt, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of appall

Browse Nearby Words

repugnant

repulse

repulsed

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Style

“Repulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repulse. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of repulse

noun

verb

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