Pronunciation: /rɪˈpʌls/

Definitions of repulse

noun the action of driving back an attacking force

Example Sentences

A1 The sight of blood can sometimes cause a feeling of repulse in people.

A2 The repulse she felt when she saw the spider was immediate and overwhelming.

B1 The repulse he experienced when he heard the offensive joke was evident on his face.

B2 Her repulse at the thought of eating insects was strong, but she knew it was a cultural norm in some countries.

C1 The repulse he felt towards the corrupt politicians fueled his desire to bring about change.

C2 His repulse at the injustice he witnessed motivated him to dedicate his life to fighting for equality.

verb to drive back or force to retreat; to disgust or repel

Example Sentences

A1 The strong smell of the fish repulsed her.

A2 I was repulsed by the sight of the spiders crawling on the wall.

B1 The graphic images in the movie repulsed many viewers.

B2 The violent behavior of the protesters repulsed the onlookers.

C1 The dictator's oppressive regime repulsed the international community.

C2 The gruesome details of the crime scene repulsed even the seasoned detectives.

Examples of repulse in a Sentence

formal The gruesome scene in the horror movie was enough to repulse even the bravest of viewers.

informal I can't stand the smell of that food, it totally repulses me.

slang That guy's attitude really repulses me, he's so full of himself.

figurative The idea of working overtime repulses me like nothing else.

Grammatical Forms of repulse

past tense

repulsed

plural

repulses

comparative

more repulsive

superlative

most repulsive

present tense

repulse

future tense

will repulse

perfect tense

has repulsed

continuous tense

is repulsing

singular

repulse

positive degree

repulsive

infinitive

repulse

gerund

repulsing

participle

repulsed

Origin and Evolution of repulse

First Known Use: 1400 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The word 'repulse' originated from the Latin word 'repulsus', which is the past participle of 'repellere' meaning to drive back or repel.
Evolution of the word: Over time, 'repulse' has retained its original meaning of driving back or repelling, but it has also come to be used in a more figurative sense to mean to reject or refuse something or someone.