What does repelled mean?
“Repelled” is the past tense and past participle of “repel,” a verb meaning to provoke disgust or aversion in someone or to drive a person or thing away. In its emotional sense, the word is especially strong: a person who is repelled by cruelty, filth, or an unpleasant display feels more than ordinary dislike, often responding with instinctive aversion or a desire to withdraw. In physical or figurative contexts, “repelled” can describe being pushed back, kept out, or prevented from approaching. The word therefore covers both psychological reactions and the broader idea of causing something to retreat. It is useful when ordinary words such as “disliked” or “stopped” would fail to convey the intensity of disgust, resistance, or rejection implied by “repelled.”
verbPast tense and past participle of repel: to make someone or something feel strong dislike, disgust, or aversion, or to drive something away.
- To feel disgust or intense dislike toward someone or something.
- To drive someone or something away, physically or psychologically.
- To be turned back or prevented from approaching by a force or barrier.
"She was repelled by the idea of eating insects, however carefully they were prepared."
"The old woman was repelled by the stranger's insistence on entering without an appointment."
"The rubber barrier repelled the ball before it could reach the goal."
To be repelled is to experience an aversion so strong that the source feels instinctively undesirable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does repelled come from?
“Repelled” comes from the Latin verb “repellere,” formed from “re-,” meaning back or away, and “pellere,” meaning to drive or push. English borrowed the word in the early 16th century in the sense of driving back or causing something to withdraw. Its related forms include “repellent,” “repulsion,” and “repulsive,” all of which preserve the ideas of driving away, aversion, or distaste.
Related word forms
How repelled is actually used
When used for an emotional reaction, “repelled” is usually followed by “by.” It commonly suggests a stronger and more visceral reaction than simply disliking something. It can also be used physically, for example when a surface or force sends something back.
Easily confused with repelled
“Repel” is the base verb; “repelled” is its past tense and past participle, used in statements about a completed action or as an adjective describing someone or something that has been driven away or disgusted.