repulsion

noun

re·​pul·​sion ri-ˈpəl-shən How to pronounce repulsion (audio)
Synonyms of repulsionnext
1
: the action of repulsing : the state of being repulsed
2
: the action of repelling : the force with which bodies, particles, or like forces repel one another
3
: a feeling of aversion : repugnance

Synonyms of repulsion

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Examples of repulsion in a Sentence

I read about what happened with a feeling of shock and repulsion. She felt a repulsion for politics. a repulsion between the particles their successful repulsion of the attack
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Apple’s songs invite us back to the euphoria of attraction and the nausea of repulsion. — New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026 But your, your thing with the Plücker coordinates, and the… does the zero mean that that’s the analog of repulsion. — Quanta Magazine, 25 June 2026 In one sad scene, Floyd and Carol begin to make love, only for Carol to pull away in repulsion. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026 Covering politics today is a grim dance between the vicious and the idiotic, between repulsion and despair. — Megan McArdle, Washington Post, 10 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for repulsion

Word History

Etymology

Middle English repulsioun, borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French repulcion, repulsion, borrowed from Medieval Latin repulsiōn, repulsiō "action of driving away or expelling" (Late Latin, "refutation"), derivative, with the suffix of verbal action -tiōn-, -tiō, of Latin repellere "to push away, drive back, fend off " (with -s- from past participle and verbal noun repulsus) — more at repel

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of repulsion was in the 15th century

Rhymes for repulsion

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Browse Nearby Words

repulse
repulsion
repulsion-induction motor
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Cite this Entry

“Repulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repulsion. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

repulsion

noun
re·​pul·​sion ri-ˈpəl-shən How to pronounce repulsion (audio)
1
: the action of repulsing : the state of being repulsed
2
: the force with which bodies, particles, or like forces repel one another
3
: a feeling of great dislike : repugnance

Medical Definition

repulsion

noun
re·​pul·​sion ri-ˈpəl-shən How to pronounce repulsion (audio)
: the tendency of some linked genetic characters to be inherited separately because a dominant allele for each character occurs on the same chromosome as a recessive allele of the other compare coupling sense 2
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