Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense repels, present participle repelling, past tense, past participle repelled
1. verb
When an army repels an attack, they successfully fight and drive back soldiers from another army who have attacked them.
[formal]
They have fifty thousand troops along the border ready to repel any attack. [VERB noun]
2. verb
When a magnetic pole repels another magnetic pole, it gives out a force that pushes the other pole away. You can also say that two magnetic poles repel each other or that they repel.
[technical]
Like poles repel, unlike poles attract. [VERB]
As these electrons are negatively charged they will attempt to repel each other. [VERB noun]
3. verb [no cont]
If something repels you, you find it horrible and disgusting.
...a violent excitement that frightened and repelled her. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: disgust, offend, revolt, sicken More Synonyms of repel
repelledadjective
She was very striking but in some way I felt repelled.
More Synonyms of repel
repel in British English
(rɪˈpɛl)
verbWord forms: -pels, -pelling or -pelled(mainly tr)
1.
to force or drive back (something or somebody, esp an attacker)
2. (also intr)
to produce a feeling of aversion or distaste in (someone or something); be disgusting (to)
3.
to push aside; dismiss
he repelled the suggestion as wrong and impossible
4.
to be effective in keeping away, controlling, or resisting
an aerosol spray that repels flies
5.
to have no affinity for; fail to mix with or absorb
water and oil repel each other
6.
to disdain to accept (something); turn away from or spurn
she repelled his advances
7. (also intr)
to exert an opposing force on (something)
an electric charge repels another charge of the same sign
▶ USAGE See note at repulse
Derived forms
repeller (reˈpeller)
noun
Word origin
C15: from Latin repellere, from re- + pellere to push, drive
repel in American English
(rɪˈpɛl)
verb transitiveWord forms: reˈpelled or reˈpelling
1.
to drive or force back; hold or ward off
to repel an attack
2.
to refuse to accept, agree to, or submit to; reject
to repel advances
3.
to refuse to accept (a person); spurn
to repel a suitor
4.
a.
to cause distaste or dislike in; disgust
the odor repelled him
b.
to cause (insects, etc.) to react by staying away
5.
a.
to be resistant to, or present an opposing force to
a coating that repels moisture
b.
to fail to mix with or adhere to
water repels oil
verb intransitive
6.
to drive off, or offer an opposing force to, something
7.
to cause distaste, dislike, or aversion
Derived forms
repeller (reˈpeller)
noun
Word origin
ME repellen < L repellere, to drive back < re-, back + pellere, to drive: see pulse1
Examples of 'repel' in a sentence
repel
Wave after wave of attack was repelled.
The Sun (2011)
It is designed to repel any physical attack and.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
But forces loyal to the besieged president repelled the attack with heavy weapons.
The Sun (2011)
As these electrons are negatively charged they will attempt to repel each other.
Erdmann, Robert & Jones, Meirion Fats, Nutrition and Health (1991)
Society must Join forces to repel this scourge.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Attack after attack was repelled, tackle after tackle was made.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The attackers were repelled by the convoy's military escort.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Were he to offer this defence in his memoirs, he might repel the attack that he was weak.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He said that the rebels had attempted to overwhelm a checkpoint in one neighbourhood last week, but were repelled by regime forces.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The other effect is caused by negative electrical charges that build up on the surface of hairs, which leads them to repel one another.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The French realised that they could not opt out of providing the land army to repel Germany.
Grenville, J. A. S. The Collins History of the World in the 20th Century (1994)
Wave Knight repelled the attack and Nato ships joined the chase.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The Ottomans repelled the attack.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The English repel the attack.
Andrew Bridgeford 1066: and the Hidden History of the Bayeux Tapestry (2004)
Far from being divided between them as between two poles which mutually repel each other, we cannot holdto one without holding to the other.
Greeley, Andrew M. Sociology and Religion: A Collection of Readings (1995)
The rebels repelled an attack by 70 tanks on the town yesterday and claimed to have captured at least 15 tanks.
The Sun (2011)
Perhaps you have had the experience of trying to press together two strong magnets, with like poles opposed, repelling each other.
Schneider, Hermann & Schneider, Leo The Harper Dictionary of Science in Everyday Language (1988)
Certainly US air support will be needed to repel the attack on Ramadi.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
As a result, additional IT security measures were put in place and the attack was repelled.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
repel
British English: repel VERB
When an army repels an attack, they successfully fight and drive back soldiers from another army who have attacked them.
They have fifty thousand troops along the border ready to repel any attack.
American English: repel
Brazilian Portuguese: repelir
Chinese: 击退
European Spanish: repugnar
French: repousser
German: zurückschlagen
Italian: respingere
Japanese: 撃退する
Korean: 격퇴하다
European Portuguese: repelir
Latin American Spanish: repugnar
1 (verb)
Definition
to be effective in keeping away or controlling
troops ready to repel an attack
Synonyms
drive off
fight
She devoted her life to fighting poverty.
refuse
I could hardly refuse his invitation.
check
decline
He declined their invitation.
reject
She's downhearted about having been rejected from the project.
oppose
Mr Taylor was bitter towards those who had opposed him.
resist
They resisted our attempts to modernize distribution.
confront
parry
My opponent parried every blow I got close enough to attempt.
hold off
rebuff
After the argument he rebuffed all their invitations.
ward off
beat off
repulse
The army were prepared to repulse any attack.
keep at arm's length
put to flight
Opposites
submit to
2 (verb)
Definition
to cause (someone) to feel disgusted
excitement which frightened and repelled her
Synonyms
disgust
He disgusted everyone with his boorish behaviour.
offend
The smell of smoke offends me.
revolt
He entirely revolts me.
sicken
What he saw there sickened him, despite years of police work.
nauseate
The smell of sardines nauseates me. I don't understand why people like them.
put you off
make you sick
gross you out (US, slang)
turn you off (informal)
make you shudder
turn your stomach
The true facts will turn your stomach.
give you the creeps (informal)
Opposites
draw
,
please
,
attract
, invite,
delight
,
fascinate
, entrance
see repulse
Additional synonyms
in the sense of decline
Definition
to politely refuse to accept or do (something)
He declined their invitation.
Synonyms
refuse,
reject,
turn down,
avoid,
deny,
spurn,
abstain,
forgo,
send your regrets,
say `no'
in the sense of fight
Definition
to struggle against (an enemy) in battle or physical combat
She devoted her life to fighting poverty.
Synonyms
oppose,
campaign against,
dispute,
contest,
resist,
defy,
contend,
withstand,
stand up to,
take issue with,
make a stand against
in the sense of nauseate
Definition
to arouse feelings of disgust in (someone)
The smell of sardines nauseates me. I don't understand why people like them.
Synonyms
disgust,
offend,
horrify,
revolt,
repel,
repulse,
gross out (slang)
Synonyms of 'repel'
repel
Explore 'repel' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of offend
Definition
to be disagreeable to
The smell of smoke offends me.
Synonyms
disgust,
revolt,
turn (someone) off (informal),
put off,
sicken,
repel,
repulse,
nauseate,
gross out (slang),
make (someone) sick,
turn someone's stomach,
be disagreeable to,
fill with loathing
in the sense of oppose
Definition
to be against (something or someone) in speech or action
Mr Taylor was bitter towards those who had opposed him.
Synonyms
be against,
fight (against),
check,
bar,
block,
prevent,
take on,
counter,
contest,
resist,
confront,
face,
combat,
defy,
thwart,
contradict,
withstand,
stand up to,
hinder,
struggle against,
obstruct,
fly in the face of,
take issue with,
be hostile to,
counterattack,
speak (out) against,
be in opposition to,
be in defiance of,
strive against,
set your face against,
take or make a stand against
in the sense of parry
Definition
to ward off (an attack)
My opponent parried every blow I got close enough to attempt.
Synonyms
ward off,
block,
deflect,
repel,
rebuff,
fend off,
stave off,
repulse,
hold at bay
in the sense of rebuff
Definition
to snub and reject an offer or suggestion
After the argument he rebuffed all their invitations.
Synonyms
reject,
decline,
refuse,
turn down,
cut (informal),
check,
deny,
resist,
slight,
discourage,
put off,
snub,
spurn,
knock back (slang),
brush off (slang),
repulse,
cold-shoulder
in the sense of refuse
Definition
to decline to accept (something offered)
I could hardly refuse his invitation.
Synonyms
decline,
reject,
turn down,
scorn,
spurn,
say no to,
repudiate
in the sense of reject
Definition
to deny to (a person) the feelings hoped for
She's downhearted about having been rejected from the project.
Synonyms
rebuff,
drop,
jilt,
desert,
turn down,
ditch (slang),
break with,
spurn,
refuse,
say no to,
repulse,
throw over,
unfollow,
unfriend
in the sense of repulse
Definition
to drive (an army) back
The army were prepared to repulse any attack.
Synonyms
drive back,
check,
defeat,
fight off,
repel,
rebuff,
ward off,
beat off,
throw back
in the sense of resist
Definition
to stand firm against or oppose
They resisted our attempts to modernize distribution.
Synonyms
oppose,
fight,
battle against,
refuse,
check,
weather,
dispute,
confront,
combat,
defy,
curb,
thwart,
stand up to,
hinder,
contend with,
counteract,
hold out against,
put up a fight (against),
countervail
in the sense of revolt
Definition
to cause to feel disgust
He entirely revolts me.
Synonyms
disgust,
offend,
turn off (informal),
sicken,
repel,
repulse,
nauseate,
gross out (slang),
shock,
turn your stomach,
make your flesh creep,
give you the creeps (informal)
in the sense of sicken
Definition
to make (someone) feel nauseated or disgusted
What he saw there sickened him, despite years of police work.