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   re·pulse

   /rəˈpəls/

   verb

   • 1. drive back (an attack or attacking enemy) by force: "rioters tried to storm ministry buildings but were repulsed by police" Similar repeldrive backdrive awayfight backfight offput to flightforce backbeat offbeat backpush backthrust backward offhold offstave offfend offfoilcheckfrustratesee offinformal:send packingarchaic:rebut
   • ▪ fail to welcome (friendly advances or the person making them); rebuff: "she left, feeling hurt because she had been repulsed" Similar rebuffrejectspurnsnubdisdaingive someone the cold shouldercold-shoulderinformal:give someone the brush-offfreeze outstiff-armknock backgive someone the bum's rushgive someone the brushsnoutinformal, dated:give someone the go-byrejectturn downrefusedeclinesay no toinformal:give the thumbs down toOpposite welcomeaccept
   • ▪ refuse to accept (an offer): "his bid for the company was repulsed"
   • 2. cause (someone) to feel intense distaste and aversion: "audiences at early screenings of the film were repulsed by its brutality" Similar revoltdisgustrepelsickennauseatemake someone feel sickturn someone's stomachbe repulsive tobe extremely distasteful tomake shudderbe repugnant tomake someone's flesh creepmake someone's skin crawlmake someone's gorge riseoffendhorrifyinformal:turn offgive someone the creepsmake someone want to throw upgross outOpposite delight

   noun

   • 1. the action of driving back an attacking force or of being driven back: "the repulse of the invaders" Similar repellingdriving backputting to flightwarding offholding offdefeatcheckfoilingfrustrationrare:repulsion
   • ▪ a discouraging response to friendly advances: "his evasion of her plan had been another repulse" Similar rebuffrejectionsnubslightrepudiationspurningcold-shoulderingdiscouragementinformal:brush-offknock-backkick in the teethslap/smack in the facesmack in the eye

   Word Origin late Middle English: from Latin repuls- ‘driven back’, from the verb repellere (see repel).

   Scrabble Points: 9

   • R

     1

   • E

     1

   • P

     3

   • U

     1

   • L

     1

   • S

     1

   • E

     1

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