# repulsive

/ɹiˈpəɫsɪv/ (US) · /ɹɪpˈʌlsɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/repulsive
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. disgusting

adjective · CEFR B2

extremely unpleasant or disgusting to your senses or your mind.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. physics

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

a force that pushes two objects away from each other.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. unfriendly

adjective · CEFR C2 · Literary

behaving in a cold or unfriendly way that makes people want to stay away.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The smell of the rotting food was absolutely repulsive.
- Magnets with the same poles facing each other create a repulsive force that prevents them from touching.
- While the protagonist's actions were morally repulsive to the audience, the author's skillful prose kept readers engaged with the narrative's darker themes.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.