Dictionary

repulsive en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /rē-pŭl'sĭv/
• (US) audio
• /rĭ-pŭl'sĭv/
• /ɹɪˈpʌlsɪv/

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)).

Meanings

1. Tending to rouse aversion or to repulse; disgusting.
   • a repulsive smell
   • The problem is to strike a balance between, on the one hand, the harsh poverty which still dominated the lives of most working folk, the repulsive physical environment and the moral void which surrounded so many of them, and, on the other, the undoubted general improvement of their conditions and prospects since the 1840s. 1975, Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Capital. 1848-1875, published 1995, page 267:
2. Having the capacity to repel.
3. Cold; reserved; forbidding.

Forms

Antonyms

attractive (having the capacity to repel) · attractive (tending to rouse aversion)

Deriveds

repulsively · neurorepulsive · repulsiveness · chemorepulsive · nonrepulsive · electrorepulsive · unrepulsive

Synonyms

inappropriate (similar) · disgusting (similar) · vile (similar) · repellent

Translations (63)

bho प्रतिकारक (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · pt repulsivo (physics: having the capacity to repel) · nb ufyseleg (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · de abweisend (physics: having the capacity to repel) · mk одбивен (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · it repellente (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · mi maninohea (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · ca repulsiu (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · nb ufyselig (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · de abstoßend (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · he דּוֹחֶה (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · la taeter (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · fi kuvottava (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · ca repulsiu (physics: having the capacity to repel) · grc βδελυρός (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · ro dezgustător (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · cs odporný (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · nb heslig (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · uk відра́зливий (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · ru отта́лкивающий (physics: having the capacity to repel) · sq efshtë (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · nb fråstøytande (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · de widerlich (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · es repulsivo (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · bg противен (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · de widerwärtig (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · el απωστικός (physics: having the capacity to repel) · pl odrażający (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · ota طاتسز (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · nb hesleg (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · it repellente (physics: having the capacity to repel) · hu taszító (physics: having the capacity to repel) · es repulsivo (physics: having the capacity to repel) · nb motbydelig (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · fi hylkivä (physics: having the capacity to repel) · grc βδελυκτός (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · gl repulsivo (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · ota لذتسز (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · cmn 令人厌恶的 (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · nb frastøtende (physics: having the capacity to repel) · cs odpudivý (physics: having the capacity to repel) · sv motbjudande (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · ru отта́лкивающий (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · el απωθητικός (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · ru омерзи́тельный (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · fi luotaantyöntävä (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · fr repoussant (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · pt repulsivo (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · ro respingător (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · mi etieti (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · nb motbydeleg (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · mk одбивен (physics: having the capacity to repel) · hu visszataszító (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · nb ekkel (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · nb ekkel (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · fr répugnant (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · nb frastøtende (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · mk одвратен (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · bg отвратителен (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · ota ناخوش (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · ru отврати́тельный (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · el αποκρουστικός (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse) · pl odpychający (tending to rouse aversion or to repulse)