Definition

1. Verb:

   • To drive back or repel by force: To successfully resist an attack or an advancing force, causing it to retreat.
   • To reject or refuse in a cold, unfriendly, or abrupt manner: To cause a feeling of strong dislike or disgust, leading to rejection.

2. Noun:

   • An instance of being driven back or repelled: The act of defeating and forcing back an attack or assault.
   • A cold rejection or refusal: An instance of being rebuffed or spurned.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • The defenders managed to repulse the enemy assault. (The defenders successfully drove back the enemy's attack.)
  • His rude behavior repulsed everyone at the party. (His impolite actions caused strong dislike in everyone at the party.)
  • She repulsed his offer of help with a cold stare. (She rejected his offer of help in an unfriendly way.)

• Noun:

  • The army's attack ended in a bloody repulse. (The army's attack resulted in being forcefully driven back.)
  • He suffered a painful repulse when he asked her for a date. (He experienced a harsh rejection when he asked her out.)

Advanced Usage

• "to repulse an advance": to reject someone's attempt to become closer, either romantically or socially.

  • She had to repulse his persistent advances. (She had to firmly reject his continual attempts to get closer.)

• "to be repulsed by": to feel a strong sense of disgust or aversion towards something.

  • I was utterly repulsed by the graphic images. (I felt intense disgust because of the explicit images.)

Variants and Related Words

• Repulsion (n): A feeling of intense distaste or disgust; the physical force that pushes objects apart.
  • She felt a wave of repulsion at the suggestion.
• Repulsive (adj): Arousing intense distaste or disgust; causing aversion.
  • The crime scene was a repulsive sight.
• Repellent (adj/n): (Adjective) Causing disgust or aversion. (Noun) A substance used to deter insects.
  • His attitude was repellent to most people.

Synonyms

• Verb: Repel, rebuff, reject, spurn, disgust, revolt.
• Noun: Rejection, rebuff, snub, defeat.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Repulse" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. The actions are typically expressed by the verb alone or with synonyms.)

Related Idioms

• "To meet with a repulse": To be defeated or rejected.
  • Their proposal met with a firm repulse from the board. (Their proposal was firmly rejected by the board.)
• "To beat back/repulse an onslaught": To successfully defend against a fierce and sustained attack.
  • The small unit beat back the enemy onslaught against all odds.

Noun

1. an instance of driving away or warding off

Verb

1. cause to move back by force or influence
   • repel the enemy
   • push back the urge to smoke
   • beat back the invaders
2. be repellent to; cause aversion in
3. force or drive back
   • repel the attacker
   • fight off the onslaught
   • rebuff the attack