repulsive

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /rɪˈpʌlsɪv/ UK /rɪˈpʌlsɪv/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
arousing intense disgust

The dish had a repulsive smell that drove guests away.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · arousing intense disgust disgusting revolting repugnant loathsome abhorrent sickening

Opposites

attractive appealing pleasant delightful

Word family

Forms repulsivelyrepulsiveness

Derived forms repulsivelyrepulsiveness

Related forms repulse repulsion repel

Etymology

From Medieval Latin repulsivus, from Latin repulsus, past participle of repellere ('to drive back'), from re- ('back') + pellere ('to drive').

repulsivus Latin repellere Latin pellere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# repulsive

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** rɪˈpʌlsɪv
**IPA (UK):** rɪˈpʌlsɪv

## Meanings
1. arousing intense disgust

## Examples
- The dish had a repulsive smell that drove guests away.

## Synonyms
- disgusting
- revolting
- repugnant
- loathsome
- abhorrent
- sickening

## Antonyms
- attractive
- appealing
- pleasant
- delightful

## Derived Forms
- repulsively
- repulsiveness

## Related Forms
- repulse
- repulsion
- repel

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: repulsivus
- Root: repellere
- Root: pellere

## Etymology
From Medieval Latin repulsivus, from Latin repulsus, past participle of repellere ('to drive back'), from re- ('back') + pellere ('to drive').

## AI Etymology
Repulsive comes from Medieval Latin repulsivus, from Latin repulsus, past participle of repellere ('to drive back'), from re- ('back') + pellere ('to drive'). The historical trail runs through Latin repulsivus, Latin repellere and Latin pellere. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means arousing intense disgust. Derived formations include repulsively, repulsiveness; related forms include repulse, repulsion, repel.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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repulsive

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