repulse

See also: repulsé

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin repulsus, from 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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈpʌls/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Verb

repulse (third-person singular simple present repulses, present participle repulsing, simple past and past participle repulsed)

1. (transitive) To repel or drive back.

   to repulse an assault; to repulse the enemy

   • 1939 December 5, J. W. Studebaker, Democracy Shall Not Be Plowed Under‎^[1], page 9:

     If we fail to repulse the enemy within the gates--unemployment, poverty, disorganized agriculture and the like--from whence may we expect the united strength and clear purpose to repulse any outside force?

2. (transitive) To reject or rebuff.

   to repulse a suitor

   • 1850, T. S. Arthur, “Happy on a Little”, in Sketches of Life and Character‎^[2], Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 89:

     At the end of a week, she could bear the suspense no longer, and so went humbly to her old home and sought forgiveness. She was not repulsed, but her reception was cold; and this hurt her almost as badly.

3. (transitive) To cause revulsion in; to repel.

   The smell of rotting food repulsed me.

   I find your conduct reprehensible, disgusting, and it repulses me, the way a mongoose repulses a snake.

Translations

to repel or drive back

• Bulgarian: отбивам (bg) (otbivam), отблъсквам (bg) (otblǎskvam)
• Finnish: torjua (fi) (to repel), karkottaa (fi) (to drive back)
• Irish: ruaig
• Latin: repellō, prōturbō
• Maori: taiari, taieri
• Russian: отража́ть (ru) impf (otražátʹ), отрази́ть (ru) pf (otrazítʹ), отбива́ть (ru) impf (otbivátʹ), отби́ть (ru) pf (otbítʹ), дава́ть отпо́р impf (davátʹ otpór), дать отпо́р pf (datʹ otpór)

to reject or rebuff

• Bulgarian: отхвърлям (bg) (othvǎrljam), не приемам (ne priemam)
• Finnish: torjua (fi)
• Latin: repellō
• Maori: whakahoe, whakapeka
• Russian: отка́зывать (ru) impf (otkázyvatʹ), отказа́ть (ru) pf (otkazátʹ), отверга́ть (ru) impf (otvergátʹ), отве́ргнуть (ru) pf (otvérgnutʹ) (reject)

to cause revulsion

• Finnish: inhottaa (fi)
• Maori: whakarihariha, whakahiaruaki, whakarikarika, whakahouhou, pūkanekane (Towards food), whakaanuanu
• Russian: отта́лкивать (ru) impf (ottálkivatʹ), оттолкну́ть (ru) pf (ottolknútʹ)
• 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
• pulse

Further reading

• “repulse”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “repulse”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “repulse”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• Slurpee, perules, respule, pelures

Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

repulse

1. third-person singular past historic of repellere

Etymology 2

Participle

repulse f pl

1. feminine plural of repulso

Noun

repulse

1. plural of repulsa

Anagrams

• preluse, presule

Latin

Participle

repulse

1. vocative masculine singular of repulsus

Spanish

Verb

repulse

1. inflection of repulsar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative