Word
repulsive
Phoneticsre·pul·sive, stress on the second syllable
US/ɹiˈpəɫsɪv/
UK/ɹɪpˈʌlsɪv/
Definitions
01disgusting
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. extremely unpleasant or disgusting to your senses or your mind.
adj. arousing intense distaste, aversion, or disgust.
“The smell coming from the old bin was absolutely repulsive.”
“The critic found the film's gratuitous violence utterly repulsive, arguing that it served no narrative purpose other than to shock the audience.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02physics
C1 · Advanced Science Technical
adj. a force that pushes two objects away from each other.
adj. relating to a force between two bodies of the same charge or magnetism that tends to push them apart.
“Magnets with the same poles have a repulsive force and push apart.”
“The experiment demonstrated how the repulsive electrostatic forces between the particles prevented them from clumping together in the solution.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03unfriendly
C2 · Proficiency Literary
adj. behaving in a cold or unfriendly way that makes people want to stay away.
adj. characterised by a cold, forbidding, or aloof manner that discourages social interaction.
“He had a repulsive manner that made it hard for anyone to like him.”
“Despite his brilliance, the professor maintained a repulsive exterior, rarely engaging in the casual pleasantries expected by his colleagues.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“By changing those interactions from repulsive to attractive, the team caused the atoms to bind together.” “Dark matter is thought to act as a kind of gravitational glue, while dark energy is believed to be a repulsive force driving the universe's expansion.” Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French repulsif, from Medieval Latin repulsivus, from Latin repulsus. By surface analysis, repuls(e) + -ive. Compare typologically Polish odpychający (< pchnąć), Russian отта́лкивающий (ottálkivajuščij) (< толкну́ть (tolknútʹ)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
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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