repulsion

[ri-puhl-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of repulsing or the state of being repulsed.

2. the feeling of being repelled, as by the thought or presence of something; distaste, repugnance, or aversion.

3. Physics.,  the force that acts between bodies of like electric charge or magnetic polarity, tending to separate them.

repulsion

/ rɪˈpʌlʃən /

noun

1. a feeling of disgust or aversion

2. physics a force tending to separate two objects, such as the force between two like electric charges or magnetic poles

Other Word Forms

• interrepulsion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of repulsion¹

1375–1425; late Middle English < Middle French < Medieval Latin repulsiōn- (stem of Late Latin repulsiō ), equivalent to Latin repuls ( us ) ( repulse ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

When people comment on them, I sometimes can’t tell if it’s out of admiration or a vague yet inquisitive repulsion.

From Los Angeles Times

DeSantis lamented the treatment that Musk received in Washington, calling the general repulsion felt by other members of Trump's inner circle and the press "a little frustrating."

From Salon

I hate sleeping in other people’s beds and can’t fathom spending all day with a man without developing at least one repulsion to him.

From Los Angeles Times

For Tinashe, the incongruity of being the kind of person who has their Zoom camera off a day after they sang about seduction, repulsion and red flags in front of thousands seems the entire point.

From Los Angeles Times

In this case, the presumption is that most voters share Trump's repulsion for "impure" people whose gender or race falls outside rigid boundaries he has defined for them.

From Salon