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repulse

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repulse¹

  • /ɹɪˈpʌls/ Canada, US, UK
  • /ɹɪˈpɐls/ Australia
  • /ɹəˈpɐls/ New Zealand
  • /ɾɪˈpəls/ India

Rhymes with -ʌls

Where it comes from

Inherited from Middle English repulsen, a learned borrowing from Latin repulsus, from repellō.

For spelling, as in pulse, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in pulls, and does not change the vowel (‘u’). Compare else, false, convulse.

verb repulses · repulsing · repulsed

  1. transitive To repel or drive back. to repulse an assault; to repulse the enemy
  2. transitive To reject or rebuff. to repulse a suitor
  3. transitive To cause revulsion in; to repel. The smell of rotting food repulsed me.

repulse²

  • /ɹɪˈpʌls/ Canada, US, UK
  • /ɹɪˈpɐls/ Australia
  • /ɹəˈpɐls/ New Zealand
  • /ɾɪˈpəls/ India

Rhymes with -ʌls

Where it comes from

Inherited from Middle English repulse, borrowed from Old French repulse, from Latin repulsa (petītiō), from repellō.

noun repulses

  1. The act of repulsing or the state of being repulsed.
  2. Refusal, rejection or repulsion.

Translations

Every language

verb to repel or drive back

Русскийотража́ть otražátʹ, отрази́ть otrazítʹ, отбива́ть otbivátʹ, отби́ть otbítʹ, дава́ть отпо́р davátʹ otpór, дать отпо́р datʹ otpór

verb to reject or rebuff

Русскийотка́зывать otkázyvatʹ, отказа́ть otkazátʹ, отверга́ть otvergátʹ, отве́ргнуть otvérgnutʹ

verb to cause revulsion

Españolrepulsar
Русскийотта́лкивать ottálkivatʹ, оттолкну́ть ottolknútʹ

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Cite this
MLA

"repulse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/repulse. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

repulse. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/repulse

Chicago

"repulse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/repulse.

BibTeX
@misc{repulse_2026,
  title = {repulse},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/repulse},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}