What does repellency mean?
Repellency is a formal noun meaning the quality of causing intense dislike, disgust, or rejection. It most often describes an unpleasant physical quality, such as a repulsive odor, but it can also refer to offensive behavior, social conduct, or moral failings. The word is more emphatic and literary than simply saying that something is unpleasant: something with strong repelency does not merely fail to attract people; it actively makes them want to withdraw from it. For example, a writer might describe the repelency of a prison cell through its dirt and oppressive heat, or use the word for the moral repelency of cruelty. Repellency is uncommon in everyday speech, but it is useful in formal writing when the intended response is stronger and more visceral than ordinary dislike.
nounThe quality of being repellent or offensive, especially because of an unpleasant smell, manner, or moral character.
- The quality of being repulsive or offensive.
"She could not bear the repelency of the stale food."
"The repelency of the dungeon made him long for open air."
"Her account exposed the moral repelency of the scheme."
The plural is rare and normally used when discussing different instances or examples of repellency.
"The novel examines the repelencies that public institutions conceal."
Repellency names the powerful feeling of being pushed away by something unpleasant, whether an odor, a manner, or a moral failing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does repellency come from?
Repellency was formed in English by adding the suffix -ency to repel. Repel comes through Latin repellere, meaning “to drive back” or “to repel,” and its relatives include repulse, repellent, and repulsive. The formation preserves the idea of being pushed away, both physically and emotionally.
How repellency is actually used
This is a formal or literary noun. It is especially associated with strong physical disgust but can also describe something morally abhorrent.