repel
/ɹɪˈpɛl/ verb
Forms repels repelling repelled repellest repelledst repelleth
- verb (transitive, now rare) To turn (someone) away from a privilege, right, job, etc.
- verb (transitive) To reject, put off (a request, demand etc.).
- verb (transitive) To ward off (a malignant influence, attack etc.).
- verb (transitive) To drive back (an assailant, advancing force etc.).
- verb (transitive, physics) To force away by means of a repulsive force.
- verb (transitive) To cause repulsion or dislike in; to disgust.
- verb (transitive, sports) To save (a shot).
Synonyms
drive repulse force back push back beat back fight off rebuff drive back snub disgust gross out revolt
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English repellen, a borrowing from Old French *repeller, from Latin repellere (“to drive back”), from re- (“back”) + pellere (“to drive”). Doublet of repeal.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To drive back; to force to return; to check the advance of; to repulse as, to repel an enemy or an assailant.
- verb To resist or oppose effectually; as, to repel an assault, an encroachment, or an argument.
- verb To act with force in opposition to force impressed; to exercise repulsion.
Etymology [L. repellere, repulsum; pref. re- re- + pellere to drive. See Pulse a beating, and cf. Repulse, Repeal.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “repel”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details