repulse

English

Etymology

From Latin repellere (“to drive back”), from re- (“back”) + pellere (“to drive”).

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. to repel or drive back
2. to reject or rebuff
3. to cause revulsion

Translations

to repel or drive back

to reject or rebuff

Finnish: torjua (fi)

to cause revulsion

Finnish: inhottaa (fi)

Spanish: repulsar (es)

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

External links

• repulse in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• repulse in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• repulse at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Slurpee

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Italian

Verb

repulse

1. third-person singular past historic of repellere

Noun

repulse f.

1. Plural of repulso

Anagrams

• preluse
• presule

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Latin

Participle

repulse

1. vocative masculine singular of repulsus