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   repulse

   /rɪˈpʌls/

   verb

   • 1. drive back (an attack or attacker) by force: "rioters tried to storm the Ministry but were repulsed by police" Similar repeldrive backdrive awayfight backfight offput to flightforce backbeat offbeat backpush backthrust backward offhold offstave offfend offfoilcheckfrustratesee offinformal:send packingarchaic:rebut
   • ▪ reject or rebuff (an approach or offer or the person making it): "she left, feeling hurt because she had been repulsed" Similar rebuffrejectspurnsnubdisdaingive someone the cold shouldercold-shoulderinformal:give someone the brush-offfreeze outstiff-armknock backgive someone the bum's rushgive someone the brushsnoutinformal, dated:give someone the go-byrejectturn downrefusedeclinesay no toinformal:give the thumbs down toOpposite welcomeaccept
   • 2. cause to feel intense distaste and aversion: "audiences were repulsed by the film's brutality" Similar revoltdisgustrepelsickennauseatemake someone feel sickturn someone's stomachbe repulsive tobe extremely distasteful tomake shudderbe repugnant tomake someone's flesh creepmake someone's skin crawlmake someone's gorge riseoffendhorrifyinformal:turn offgive someone the creepsmake someone want to throw upgross outOpposite delight

   noun

   • 1. the action of driving back an attack or of being driven back: "the repulse of the invaders" Similar repellingdriving backputting to flightwarding offholding offdefeatcheckfoilingfrustrationrare:repulsion
   • ▪ a discouraging response to an offer or approach: "his evasion of her scheme had been another repulse" Similar rebuffrejectionsnubslightrepudiationspurningcold-shoulderingdiscouragementinformal:brush-offknock-backkick in the teethslap/smack in the facesmack in the eye

   Word Origin late Middle English: from Latin repuls- ‘driven back’, from the verb repellere (see repel).

   Scrabble Points: 9

   • R

     1

   • E

     1

   • P

     3

   • U

     1

   • L

     1

   • S

     1

   • E

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