Adjacent Words

Repulse definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

REPULSE, n. repuls'. [L. repulsa, from repello; re and pello, to drive.]
1. A being checked in advancing, or driven back by force. The enemy met with a repulse and retreated.
2. Refusal; denial.
REPULSE, v.t. repuls'. [L. repulsus, repello.]
To repel; to beat or drive back as, to repulse an assailant or advancing enemy.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an instance of driving away or warding off [syn: rebuff, snub, repulse] v
1: force or drive back; "repel the attacker"; "fight off the onslaught"; "rebuff the attack" [syn: repel, repulse, fight off, rebuff, drive back]
2: be repellent to; cause aversion in [syn: repel, repulse] [ant: appeal, attract]
3: cause to move back by force or influence; "repel the enemy"; "push back the urge to smoke"; "beat back the invaders" [syn: repel, drive, repulse, force back, push back, beat back] [ant: attract, draw, draw in, pull, pull in]

Merriam Webster's

I. transitive verb (repulsed; repulsing) Etymology: Latin repulsus, past participle of repellere to repel Date: 15th century 1. to drive or beat back ; repel 2. to repel by discourtesy, coldness, or denial 3. to cause repulsion in II. noun Date: 1533 1. rebuff, rejection 2. the action of repelling an attacker ; the fact of being repelled

Oxford Reference Dictionary

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)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Repulse Re*pulse", n. [L. repulsa, fr. repellere, repulsum.] 1. The act of repelling or driving back; also, the state of being repelled or driven back. By fate repelled, and with repulses tired. --Denham. He received in the repulse of Tarquin seven hurts in the body. --Shak. 2. Figuratively: Refusal; denial; rejection; failure.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Repulse Re*pulse" (r?-p?ls"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Repulsed (-p?lst"); p. pr. & vb. n. Repulsing.] [L. repulsus, p. p. of repellere. See Repel.] 1. To repel; to beat or drive back; as, to repulse an assault; to repulse the enemy. Complete to have discovered and repulsed Whatever wiles of foe or seeming friend. --Milton. 2. To repel by discourtesy, coldness, or denial; to reject; to send away; as, to repulse a suitor or a proffer.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(repulses, repulsing, repulsed) 1. If you are repulsed by something, you think that it is horrible and disgusting and you want to avoid it. Evil has charisma. Though people are repulsed by it, they also are drawn to its power. = repel ? attract VERB: usu passive, be V-ed 2. If an army or other group repulses a group of people, they drive it back using force. The armed forces were prepared to repulse any attacks. VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Repelling, driving back, repulsion. 2. Refusal, denial. 3. Failure, disappointment. II. v. a. 1. Repel, beat back, drive back. 2. Refuse, reject.

Moby Thesaurus

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