repelled; repelling
3
a
: to drive away : discourage
foul words and frowns must not repel a lover—
William Shakespeare
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
: 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").
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
This desperation, rather than repelling me, became a source of connection.
—Priscilla Posada, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2025
Kyiv's troops have repelled months of Russian counteroffensives, but recent weeks have seen their salient crumble and Russian forces retake significant ground.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 13 Mar. 2025
After more than four years of defending a lawsuit against video gaming operators and their trade association, the city of Waukegan will receive more than $11.3 million after repelling an onslaught of allegations over several iterations before the court.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
In repelling the attacks, Ukraine shot down 134 air targets.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for repel
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show current usage.
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Priscilla Posada, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2025
Kyiv's troops have repelled months of Russian counteroffensives, but recent weeks have seen their salient crumble and Russian forces retake significant ground.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 13 Mar. 2025
After more than four years of defending a lawsuit against video gaming operators and their trade association, the city of Waukegan will receive more than $11.3 million after repelling an onslaught of allegations over several iterations before the court.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
In repelling the attacks, Ukraine shot down 134 air targets.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for repel
Cite this Entry
“Repel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repel. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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