Word
repulsion
Phoneticsre·pul·sion
UK/ɹɪpˈʌlʃən/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. a very strong feeling of dislike for something that seems disgusting or wrong. You feel it when something looks, smells, or sounds so bad you want to move away.
n. intense aversion or disgust provoked by something offensive to the senses or moral feeling; in physics, a force that pushes objects apart, opposite to attraction.
Examples
“She feels repulsion at the smell of rotten fish.”
“He steps back in repulsion as the bin overflows with sour, rotting food.”
“The novel traces her fascination with the old house giving way to quiet repulsion as its secrets come to light.”
Examples
simple
“She feels repulsion at the smell of rotten fish.”
contextual
“He steps back in repulsion as the bin overflows with sour, rotting food.”
complex
“The novel traces her fascination with the old house giving way to quiet repulsion as its secrets come to light.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “repulsion” in context.
Verb
01. conceal repulsion
“He tried to conceal his repulsion during the unpleasant meal.”
verb + noun
02. express repulsion
“The committee expressed repulsion at the abuse revealed in the report.”
verb + noun
03. feel repulsion
“She could not help but feel repulsion at the violent images.”
verb + noun
04. overcome repulsion
“The nurse had to overcome her repulsion to clean the wound.”
verb + noun
Adjective
05. deep repulsion
“She felt deep repulsion towards any form of cruelty to animals.”
adj + noun
06. instinctive repulsion
“Her instinctive repulsion to the smell made her step back.”
adj + noun
07. intense repulsion
“He felt intense repulsion at the sight of the rotting food.”
adj + noun
08. moral repulsion
“Many voters expressed moral repulsion at the corruption scandal.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. look of repulsion
“He shot her a look of repulsion and walked away.”
noun + prep + noun
10. pang of repulsion
“He felt a sharp pang of repulsion on entering the filthy kitchen.”
noun + prep + noun
11. feel deep repulsion towards
“Many people feel deep repulsion towards any form of cheating.”
12. overcome her initial repulsion
“She overcame her initial repulsion to help the injured bird.”
Real-World Examples
“Congratulations, you've caught "the ick." That instant flip from attraction to total repulsion is everywhere on TikTok and Instagram, with singles and couples bonding over the specific, often ridiculous triggers that turned them off.” “Oppositely charged species may form charge-by-charge assemblies, whereas like-charged π-electronic units can, under favorable intermolecular interactions, overcome electrostatic repulsion and form stacked dimers.” “Physicists describe such a system as "strongly interacting" because the electrons' mutual repulsion becomes the dominant factor shaping their behavior.” “What is this gut-flipping repulsion that comes over me when Gen-Z and millennial housewives or practising SAHGs (stay-at-home girlfriends) promote patriarchal relationship values online?” Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French répulsion, from Late Latin repulsio, repulsionem, from Latin repulsus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/repulsion