repel

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: re=pel

CIDE DICTIONARY

repel, v. t. [L. repellere, repulsum; pref. re- re- + pellere to drive. See Pulse a beating, and cf. Repulse, Repeal.].

•  To drive back; to force to return; to check the advance of; to repulse as, to repel an enemy or an assailant.  [1913 Webster]

  "Hippomedon repelled the hostile tide."  [1913 Webster]

  "They repelled each other strongly, and yet attracted each other strongly."  [1913 Webster]
•  To resist or oppose effectually; as, to repel an assault, an encroachment, or an argument.  [1913 Webster]

  "[He] gently repelled their entreaties."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Tu repulse; resist; oppose; reject; refuse.

repel, v. i. 

 To act with force in opposition to force impressed; to exercise repulsion.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

repel, v.tr. (repelled, repelling)
1 drive back; ward off; repulse.
2 refuse admission or approach or acceptance to (repel an assailant).
3 be repulsive or distasteful to.

Derivative

repeller n.

Etymology

ME f. L repellere (as RE-, pellere puls- drive)

THESAURUS

repel

abjure, anticipate, appall, avert, bar, be proof against, bear up, bear up against, beat back, beat off, block, blunt, brush aside, brush off, buck, chase, chase away, chase off, check, chill, chuck, chuck out, combat, contemn, contest, contradict, cool, counter, cut, damp, dampen, debar, decline, deflect, defy, deny, despise, deter, disaffect, disapprove, discard, disclaim, discount, discourage, disdain, disgust, dishearten, disincline, disinterest, dismiss, disown, dispute, disregard, distract, divert, drive away, drive back, duel, endure, estop, except, exclude, fend, fend off, fight, forbid, foreclose, forestall, forswear, give offense, gross out, help, hinder, hold at bay, hold off, hold out, hold up, horrify, ignore, indispose, keep at bay, keep from, keep off, nauseate, obstruct, obviate, offend, oppose, pack off, parry, pass by, pass up, preclude, prevent, prohibit, push aside, push back, put back, put off, quench, rebuff, rebut, recant, refuse, refuse to consider, refuse to receive, reject, reluct, renounce, repudiate, repulse, resist, revolt, rule out, save, scout, send away, send off, send packing, shock, shove away, sicken, snub, spurn, stand, stand up, stave off, stop, throw away, throw out, thrust back, traverse, turn aside, turn away, turn back, turn from, turn off, turn out, turn the stomach, waive, ward off, wean from, withstand

ROGET THESAURUS

repel

Dissuasion

VB dissuade, dehort, cry out against, remonstrate, expostulate, warn, contraindicate, disincline, indispose, shake, stagger, dispirit, discourage, dishearten, deter, repress, hold back, keep back, render averse, repel, turn aside, wean from, act as a drag, throw cold water on, damp, cool, chill, blunt, calm, quiet, quench, deprecate, disenchant, disillusion, deflate, take down a peg, pop one's balloon, prick one's balloon, burst one's bubble, disabuse (correction).

Defense

VB defend, forfend, fend, shield, screen, shroud, engarrison, fend round, fence, entrench, intrench, guard, guard against, take care of, bear harmless, fend off, keep off, ward off, beat off, beat back, hinder, parry, repel, propugn, put to flight, give a warm reception to, hold at bay, keep at bay, keep arm's length, stand on the defensive, act on the defensive, show fight, maintain one's ground, stand one's ground, stand by, hold one's own, bear the brunt, stand the brunt, fall back upon, hold, stand in the gap.

Resistance

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.

Refusal

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.

Painfulness

VB cause pain, occasion pain, give pain, bring pain, induce pain, produce pain, create pain, inflict pain, pain, hurt, wound, pinch, prick, gripe, pierce, lancinate, cut, hurt the feelings, wound the feelings, grate upon the feelings, grate upon the nerves, jar upon the feelings, wring the heart, pierce the heart, lacerate the heart, break the heart, rend the heart, make the heart bleed, tear the heart strings, rend the heart strings, draw tears from the eyes, sadden, make unhappy, plunge into sorrow, grieve, fash, afflict, distress, cut up, cut to the heart, displease, annoy, incommode, discompose, trouble, disquiet, faze, feaze, feeze, disturb, cross, perplex, molest, tease, tire, irk, vex, mortify, wherret, worry, plague, bother, pester, bore, pother, harass, harry, badger, heckle, bait, beset, infest, persecute, importune, wring, harrow, torment, torture, bullyrag, put to the rack, put to the question, break on the wheel, rack, scarify, cruciate, crucify, convulse, agonize, barb the dart, plant a dagger in the breast, plant a thorn in one's side, irritate, provoke, sting, nettle, try the patience, pique, fret, rile, tweak the nose, chafe, gall, sting to the quick, wound to the quick, cut to the quick, aggrieve, affront, enchafe, enrage, ruffle, sour the temper, give offense, maltreat, bite, snap at, assail, smite, sicken, disgust, revolt, nauseate, disenchant, repel, offend, shock, stink in the nostrils, go against the stomach, turn the stomach, make one sick, set the teeth on edge, go against the grain, grate on the ear, stick in one's throat, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, gnaw, corrode, horrify, appal, appall, freeze the blood, make the flesh creep, make the hair stand on end, make the blood curdle, make the blood run cold, make one shudder, haunt the memory, weigh on the heart, prey on the heart, weigh on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, prey on the spirits, bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, add a nail to one's coffin.

Dislike

VB mislike misrelish, dislike, disrelish, mind, object to, have rather not, would rather not, prefer not to, not care for, have a dislike for, conceive a dislike to, entertain a dislike for, take a dislike to, have an aversion to, have an aversion for, have no taste for, have no stomach for, shun, avoid, eschew, withdraw from, shrink from, recoil from, not be able to bear, not be able to abide, not be able to endure, shrug the shoulders at, shudder at, turn up the nose at, look askance at, make a mouth, make a wry face, make a grimace, make faces, loathe, nauseate, abominate, detest, abhor, hate, take amiss, have enough of, wish away, unwish cause dislike, excite dislike, disincline, repel, sicken, make sick, render sick, turn one's stomach, nauseate, wamble, disgust, shock, stink in the nostrils, go against the grain, go against the stomach, stick in the throat, make one's blood run cold, pall.

Exclusion

VB be excluded from, exclude, bar, leave out, shut out, bar out, reject, repudiate, blackball, lay apart, put apart, set apart, lay aside, put aside, relegate, segregate, throw overboard, strike off, strike out, neglect, banish, separate, pass over, omit, garble, eliminate, weed, winnow, be secluded, live secluded, keep aloof, stand, hold oneself aloof, keep in the background, stand in the background, keep snug, shut oneself up, deny oneself, seclude oneself creep into a corner, rusticate, aller planter ses choux, retire, retire from the world, take the veil, abandon, sport one's oak, cut, cut dead, refuse to associate with, refuse to acknowledge, look cool upon, turn one's back upon, shut the door upon, repel, blackball, excommunicate, exclude, exile, expatriate, banish, outlaw, maroon, ostracize, proscribe, cut off from, send to Coventry, keep at arm's length, draw a cordon round, depopulate, dispeople, unpeople.

Hate

VB hate, detest, abominate, abhor, loathe, recoil at, shudder at, shrink from, view with horror, hold in abomination, revolt against, execrate, scowl, disrelish, owe a grudge, bear spleen, bear a grudge, bear malice, conceive an aversion to, take a dislike to, excite hatred, provoke hatred, be hateful, stink in the nostrils, estrange, alienate, repel, set against, sow dissension, set by the ears, envenom, incense, irritate, rile, horrify, roil.

Repulsion

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.