repel

verb

re·​pel ri-ˈpel 

repelled; repelling

transitive verb

1

a

: to drive back : repulse

b

: to fight against : resist

2

: turn away, reject

repelled the insinuation

3

a

: to drive away : discourage

foul words and frowns must not repel a lover

—William Shakespeare

b

: to be incapable of adhering to, mixing with, taking up, or holding

c

: to force away or apart or tend to do so by mutual action at a distance

4

: to cause aversion in : disgust

intransitive verb

: to cause aversion

repeller noun

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When to Use Repel

Since re- can mean not just "again" but also "back", repel means "drive back". Repel has two common adjective forms; thus, a repellent or repulsive odor may drive us into the other room. Its main noun form is repulsion. Magnets exhibit both attraction and repulsion, and the goal of an armed defense is the repulsion of an enemy; but we generally use repulsion to mean "strong dislike". In recent years, repulse has been increasingly used as a synonym for repel ("That guy repulses me").

Synonyms

• beat off
• fend (off)
• rebut
• repulse
• stave off
• turn away
• turn back

Examples of repel in a Sentence

a fabric that repels water

Their superior forces repelled the invasion.

Two positive electrical charges repel each other.

Magnets can both repel and attract one another.

Recent Examples on the Web

As this would clearly seem to spell trouble for the incumbent party, Harris has largely tried to change the subject, such as by parading around with Liz Cheney in an effort to drum up support from highly-engaged, news-attentive Republican voters repelled by Trump. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Israel's attack came in response to Iran's 180-missile attack against Israel three weeks earlier, which Israel's air defenses mostly repelled. —Barak Ravid, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024

For low-porosity hair, which tends to repel moisture, lighter treatments like this provide hydration without overwhelming the strands. —Iman Balagam, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024

Hassabis told Scientific American in a 2022 interview that the AI appears to understand the various forces that attract and repel the amino acid components to and from one another. —Josh Fischman, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English repellen, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French repeller, borrowed from Latin repellere "to push away, drive back, fend off," from re- re- + pellere "to beat against, push, strike, rouse" — more at pulse entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

repel

verb

re·​pel ri-ˈpel 

repelled; repelling

1

a

: to drive back

repel the enemy

b

: to fight against : resist

2

: to refuse to accept : reject

repel a suggestion

3

a

: to be incapable of sticking to, mixing with, taking up, or holding

a fabric that repels water

b

: to force away or apart or tend to do so by mutual action at a distance

two like electrical charges repel each other

4

: disgust

a sight that repelled everyone

repeller noun