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

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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

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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

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

Noun

This includes a High Court lawsuit claiming breach of contract, as well as an employment tribunal for wrongful dismissal and gender discrimination.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
As of Thursday, 24 of the defendants had been cleared, either through a grand jury refusing to indict, the dismissal of charges by prosecutors, or, in the one case that went to trial, a not guilty verdict by a jury.

— Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 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

Ukrainian drone defenses, minefields, and artillery effectively repelled the attack, inflicting heavy losses including seven tanks and over 150 casualties.

— Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Plants that will help repel pests that are harmful to jalapeños include basil, garlic, chives, rosemary, marigolds, and onions.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 July 2026

Definition of repel

Noun

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
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

Definition of rebuff

Verb

In March, Kim was transferred to a different department to help deal with a local measles outbreak that sickened seven people in the county, five of them children.

— Kate Wells, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026
Congress granted veterans who served at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune an exception because of severe groundwater contamination that sickened thousands of veterans and their families who served and lived on the base between 1953 and 1987.

— Nicole Borman, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

Definition of sicken

Noun

She’s seen students disappointed by the state’s rejection of an AP African American history course and English teachers strategically pick books that wouldn’t offend the governor’s sensibilities.

— Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
Not long ago, many clinicians, including Fejzo’s own doctor, still regarded the illness as a psychological rejection of motherhood, or a bid for attention.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 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

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repugnant

repulse

repulsed

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

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Synonyms of repulse

noun

verb

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