repel
verb /rɪˈpel/
/rɪˈpel/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they repel | /rɪˈpel/ /rɪˈpel/ |
| he / she / it repels | /rɪˈpelz/ /rɪˈpelz/ |
| past simple repelled | /rɪˈpeld/ /rɪˈpeld/ |
| past participle repelled | /rɪˈpeld/ /rɪˈpeld/ |
| -ing form repelling | /rɪˈpelɪŋ/ /rɪˈpelɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] repel somebody/something (formal) to successfully fight somebody who is attacking you, your country, etc. and drive them away
- to repel an attack/invasion/invader
- Troops repelled an attempt to infiltrate the south of the island.
- (figurative) The reptile's prickly skin repels nearly all of its predators.
- [transitive] repel something to drive, push or keep something away
- a cream that repels insects
- The fabric has been treated to repel water.
- [transitive] repel somebody (not used in the progressive tenses) to make somebody feel horror or disgust synonym disgust, repulse
- I was repelled by the smell.
Extra ExamplesTopics Feelingsc2- Her heartlessness repelled him.
- I was repelled by the smell of drink on his breath.
- She was repelled by his harsh business ethic.
- [transitive, intransitive] repel (something) (specialist) if one thing repels another, or if two things repel each other, an electrical or magnetic force pushes them apart
- Like poles repel each other.
see also repulsion, repulsive
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin repellere, from re- ‘back’ + pellere ‘to drive’.