repulse

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: re=pulse

CIDE DICTIONARY

repulse, v. t. [L. repulsus, p. p. of repellere. See Repel.].

•  To repel; to beat or drive back; as, to repulse an assault; to repulse the enemy.  [1913 Webster]

  "Complete to have discovered and repulsed
  Whatever wiles of foe or seeming friend."  [1913 Webster]
•  To repel by discourtesy, coldness, or denial; to reject; to send away; as, to repulse a suitor or a proffer.  [1913 Webster]

repulse, n. [L. repulsa, fr. repellere, repulsum.].

•  The act of repelling or driving back; also, the state of being repelled or driven back.  [1913 Webster]

  "By fate repelled, and with repulses tired."  [1913 Webster]

  "He received in the repulse of Tarquin seven hurts in the body."  [1913 Webster]
•  Figuratively: Refusal; denial; rejection; failure.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

repulse, v. & n.
--v.tr.
1 drive back (an attack or attacking enemy) by force of arms.
2 a rebuff (friendly advances or their maker). b refuse (a request or offer or its maker).
3 be repulsive to, repel.
4 foil in controversy.
--n.
1 the act or an instance of repulsing or being repulsed.
2 a rebuff.

Etymology

L repellere repuls- drive back (as REPEL)

THESAURUS

repulse

abjuration, abjure, abjurement, backfire, backlash, backlashing, bafflement, balk, be proof against, bear up, bear up against, beat back, beat off, block, boomerang, bounce, bound, brush aside, brush off, brush-off, carom, challenge, chase, chase away, chase off, check, checkmate, chuck, chuck out, chucking, chucking out, cold shoulder, cold-shoulder, combative reaction, complaint, confusion, contemn, contempt, contradict, contradiction, contrecoup, counter, counteraction, cut, cut direct, declination, decline, declining, defiance, defy, demur, denial, deny, despisal, despise, despising, disapproval, disapprove, discard, disclaim, disclamation, discomfiture, discount, discounting, disdain, dismiss, dismissal, disown, disownment, dispute, disregard, dissent, dissentience, drive away, drive back, endure, except, exception, exclude, exclusion, fend, fend off, flat refusal, foil, forswear, fractiousness, frustration, high-hat, hinder, hold at bay, hold off, hold out, hold up, humiliation, ignore, ignoring, keep at bay, keep off, kick, kickback, nauseate, negativism, nonacceptance, nonapproval, nonconsideration, noncooperation, not receive, objection, obstinacy, obstruct, opposition, pack off, parry, pass by, pass up, passing by, passive resistance, point-blank refusal, protest, push aside, push back, put back, putting away, putting out, reaction, rebound, rebuff, rebut, recalcitrance, recalcitrancy, recalcitration, recant, recantation, recoil, refractoriness, refusal, refuse, refuse to consider, refuse to receive, reject, rejection, reluct, reluctance, remonstrance, renitence, renitency, renounce, renouncement, repel, repellence, repellency, repercussion, repudiate, repudiation, repulsion, resilience, resist, resistance, reversal, reverse, revolt, ricochet, rout, scout, scouting, send away, send off, send packing, setback, short shrift, shove away, sicken, slight, sneer, sniff, snort, snub, spring, spurn, spurning, stand, stand up, stave off, stop, summary negative, the cold shoulder, the go-by, throw away, throw out, throwing out, thrust back, turn aside, turn away, turn away from, turn back, turn down, turn out, turning out, uncooperativeness, upstage, waive, ward off, withstand, withstanding

ROGET THESAURUS

repulse

Resistance

N resistance, stand, front, oppugnation, oppugnancy, opposition, renitence, renitency, reluctation, recalcitration, kicking, repulse, rebuff, insurrection, strike, turn out, lock out, barring out, levee en masse, Jacquerie, riot, resisting, resistive, resistant, refractory, recalcitrant, renitent, up in arms, repulsive, repellant, proof against, unconquerable, stubborn, unconquered, indomitable, unyielding, Int, hands off!, keep off!.

VB resist, not submit, repugn, reluct, reluctate, withstand, stand up against, strive against, bear up under, bear up against, be proof against, make head against, stand, stand firm, stand one's ground, stand the brunt of, stand out, hold one's grounds, hold one's own, hold out, hold firm, breast the wave, breast the current, stem the tide, stem the torrent, face, confront, grapple with, show a bold front, present a front, make a stand, take one's stand, kick, kick against, recalcitrate, kick against the pricks, oppose, fly in the face of, lift the hand against, rise up in arms, strike, turn out, draw up a round robin, revolt, make a riot, prendre le mors aux dents, take the bit between the teeth, sell one's life dearly, die hard, keep at bay, repel, repulse.

Failure

N failure, nonsuccess, nonfulfillment, dead failure, successlessness, abortion, miscarriage, brutum fulmen, labor in vain, no go, inefficacy, inefficaciousness, vain attempt, ineffectual attempt, abortive attempt, abortive efforts, flash in the pan, lame and impotent conclusion, frustration, slip 'twixt cup and lip, blunder, fault, omission, miss, oversight, slip, trip, stumble, claudication, footfall, false step, wrong step, faux pas, titubation, b_evue, faute, lurch, botchery, scrape, mess, fiasco, breakdown, flunk, mishap, split, collapse, smash, blow, explosion, repulse, rebuff, defeat, rout, overthrow, discomfiture, beating, drubbing, quietus, nonsuit, subjugation, checkmate, stalemate, fool's mate, fall, downfall, ruin, perdition, wreck, deathblow, bankruptcy, losing game, affaire flamb_ee, victim, bankrupt, flunker, flunky, unsuccessful, successless, failing, tripping, at fault, unfortunate, abortive, addle, stillborn, fruitless, bootless, ineffectual, ineffective, inconsequential, trifling, nugatory, inefficient, insufficient, unavailing, of no effect, aground, grounded, swamped, stranded, cast away, wrecked, foundered, capsized, shipwrecked, nonsuited, foiled, defeated, struck down, borne down, broken down, downtrodden, overborne, overwhelmed, all up with, ploughed, plowed, plucked, lost, undone, ruined, broken, bankrupt, played out, done up, done for, dead beat, ruined root and branch, flambe, knocked on the head, destroyed, frustrated, crossed, unhinged, disconcerted dashed, thrown off one's balance, thrown on one's back, thrown on one's beam ends, unhorsed, in a sorry plight, hard hit, stultified, befooled, dished, hoist on one's own petard, victimized, sacrificed, wide of the mark, out of one's reckoning, left in the lurch, thrown away, unattained, uncompleted, unsuccessfully, to little or no purpose, in vain, re infecta, the bubble has burst, the jig is up, the game is up, all is lost, the devil to pay, parturiunt montes, dies infaustus, tout est perdu hors l'honneur.

Refusal

N refusal, rejection, noncompliance, incompliance, denial, declining, declension, declinature, peremptory refusal, flat refusal, point blank refusal, repulse, rebuff, discountenance, recusancy, abnegation, protest, disclaimer, dissent, revocation, refusing, restive, restiff, recusant, uncomplying, unconsenting, not willing to hear of, deaf to, refused, ungranted, out of the question, not to be thought of, impossible, no, on no account, not for the world, no thank you, thanks but no thanks, non possumus, your humble servant, bien oblige, not on your life, no way, not even if you beg on your knees.

VB refuse, reject, deny, decline, turn down, nill, negative, refuse one's assent, withhold one's assent, shake the head, close the hand, close the purse, grudge, begrudge, be slow to, hang fire, pass (at cards), be deaf to, dismiss, turn a deaf ear to, turn one's back upon, set one's face against, discountenance, not hear of, have nothing to do with, wash one's hands of, stand aloof, forswear, set aside, cast behind one, not yield an inch, resist, cross, not grant, repel, repulse, shut the door in one's face, slam the door in one's face, rebuff, send back, send to the right about, send away with a flea in the ear, deny oneself, not be at home to, discard, spurn, rescind, disclaim, protest, dissent.

Recoil

N recoil, reaction, retroaction, revulsion, bounce, rebound, ricochet, repercussion, recalcitration, kick, contrecoup, springing back, elasticity, reflection, reflexion, reflex, reflux, reverberation, rebuff, repulse, return, ducks and drakes, boomerang, spring, reactionist, elastic collision, coefficient of restitution, recoiling, refluent, repercussive, recalcitrant, reactionary, retroactive, on the rebound, on the recoil, for every action there is a reaction, equal in force and opposite in direction.

Repulsion

N repulsion, driving from, repulse, abduction, magnetic repulsion, magnetic levitation, antigravity, repelling, repellent, repulsive, abducent, abductive, centripetal, like charges repel, opposite charges attract, like poles repel, opposite poles attract.

VB repel, push from, drive apart, drive from, chase, dispel, retrude, abduce, abduct, send away, repulse, keep at arm's length, turn one's back upon, give the cold shoulder, send off, send away with a flea in one's ear.