Repulsive

  • 1Repulsive — Re*pul sive ( s?v), a. [Cf. F. r[ e]pulsif.] 1. Serving, or able, to repulse; repellent; as, a repulsive force. [1913 Webster] Repulsive of his might the weapon stood. Pope. [1913 Webster] 2. Cold; forbidding; offensive; as, repulsive manners.… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2repulsive — I adjective abhorrent, abominable, appalling, arousing aversion, beastly, contemptible, despicable, detestable, dirty, disagreeable, disgusting, disliked, displeasing, distasteful, dreadful, execrable, fearful, feculent, filthy, foedus,… …

    Law dictionary

  • 3repulsive — (adj.) 1610s, from Fr. repulsif (14c.), from M.L. repulsivus, from pp. stem of repellere (see REPULSION (Cf. repulsion)). Originally able to repel; the sense of causing disgust is first recorded 1816 …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4repulsive — repugnant, revolting, *offensive, loathsome Analogous words: repellent, *repugnant, abhorrent, obnoxious Antonyms: alluring, captivating …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 5repulsive — [adj] very disgusting, offensive abhorrent, abominable, animal*, creepy*, disagreeable, distasteful, forbidding, foul, gross, hateful, hideous, horrid, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, noisome, objectionable, obnoxious, odious, off putting,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 6repulsive — ► ADJECTIVE 1) arousing intense distaste or disgust. 2) Physics of or relating to repulsion between physical objects. DERIVATIVES repulsively adverb repulsiveness noun …

    English terms dictionary

  • 7repulsive — [ri pul′siv] adj. [ML repulsivus] 1. tending to repel 2. causing strong dislike or aversion; disgusting; offensive 3. characterized by, or having the nature of, repulsion repulsively adv. repulsiveness n …

    English World dictionary

  • 8repulsive — [[t]rɪpʌ̱lsɪv[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED If you describe something or someone as repulsive, you mean that they are horrible and disgusting and you want to avoid them. ...repulsive fat white slugs. ...the most repulsive mass murderer America has known.… …

    English dictionary

  • 9repulsive — adj. VERBS ▪ be, look, seem, smell ▪ The very thought seems repulsive. ▪ find sb/sth ADVERB ▪ …

    Collocations dictionary

  • 10repulsive — repulsively, adv. repulsiveness, n. /ri pul siv/, adj. 1. causing repugnance or aversion: a repulsive mask. 2. capable of causing repulsion; serving to repulse: to present enough repulsive force to keep the enemy from daring to attack. 3. tending …

    Universalium