repulse

See also: repulsé

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: rĭ-pŭls′
• (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada, Scotland) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈpʌls/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (Australia) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈpɐls/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ɹəˈpɐls/
• (India) IPA^(key): /ɾɪˈpəls/
• Rhymes: -ʌls
• Hyphenation: re‧pulse

Etymology 1

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

repulse (third-person singular simple present repulses, present participle repulsing, simple past and past participle repulsed)

1. (transitive) To repel or drive back.

   to repulse an assault; to repulse the enemy

   • 1939 December 5, J. W. Studebaker, Democracy Shall Not Be Plowed Under‎^[1], page 9:

     If we fail to repulse the enemy within the gates--unemployment, poverty, disorganized agriculture and the like--from whence may we expect the united strength and clear purpose to repulse any outside force?

2. (transitive) To reject or rebuff.

   to repulse a suitor

   • 1850, T. S. Arthur, “Happy on a Little”, in Sketches of Life and Character‎^[2], Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 89:

     At the end of a week, she could bear the suspense no longer, and so went humbly to her old home and sought forgiveness. She was not repulsed, but her reception was cold; and this hurt her almost as badly.

3. (transitive) To cause revulsion in; to repel.

   The smell of rotting food repulsed me.

   I find your conduct reprehensible, disgusting, and it repulses me, the way a mongoose repulses a snake.

Derived terms

• chemorepulse
• repulser
• repulsor

Related terms

• repulsor beam
• repulsor ray

Translations

to repel or drive back

• Bulgarian: отбивам (bg) (otbivam), отблъсквам (bg) (otblăskvam)
• Finnish: torjua (fi) (to repel), karkottaa (fi) (to drive back)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: ἐκκρούω (ekkroúō)

• Irish: ruaig
• Latin: repellō, prōturbō
• Māori: taiari, taieri
• Russian: отража́ть (ru) impf (otražátʹ), отрази́ть (ru) pf (otrazítʹ), отбива́ть (ru) impf (otbivátʹ), отби́ть (ru) pf (otbítʹ), дава́ть отпо́р impf (davátʹ otpór), дать отпо́р pf (datʹ otpór)

to reject or rebuff

• Bulgarian: отхвърлям (bg) (othvărljam), не приемам (ne priemam)
• Finnish: torjua (fi)
• Latin: repellō
• Māori: whakahoe, whakapeka
• Russian: отка́зывать (ru) impf (otkázyvatʹ), отказа́ть (ru) pf (otkazátʹ), отверга́ть (ru) impf (otvergátʹ), отве́ргнуть (ru) pf (otvérgnutʹ) (reject)

to cause revulsion

• Finnish: inhottaa (fi)
• Māori: whakarihariha, whakahiaruaki, whakarikarika, whakahouhou, pūkanekane (Towards food), whakaanuanu
• Russian: отта́лкивать (ru) impf (ottálkivatʹ), оттолкну́ть (ru) pf (ottolknútʹ)
• Spanish: repulsar (es)

Etymology 2

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

Noun

repulse (plural repulses)

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

Related terms

• repel
• repellent
• repulsion
• repulsive
• pulse

Further reading

• “repulse”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “repulse”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “repulse”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• Slurpee, perules, respule, pelures

Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

repulse

1. third-person singular past historic of repellere

Etymology 2

Participle

repulse f pl

1. feminine plural of repulso

Noun

repulse

1. plural of repulsa

Anagrams

• preluse, presule

Latin

Participle

repulse

1. vocative masculine singular of repulsus

Spanish

Verb

repulse

1. inflection of repulsar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative