What does repulsing mean?
Repulsing means causing intense disgust, aversion, or horror. The word is especially effective when describing a sight, smell, act, or idea that makes someone recoil instinctively, and it can indicate both physical repulsion and moral condemnation. For example, a foul odor might be called “repulsing,” while a cruel action might be described as “repulsing” because it violates a person’s sense of right and wrong. It is stronger and more expressive than “unpleasant” and is usually reserved for things that are genuinely offensive or disturbing. Although the related words “repulsive,” “repellent,” and “repulsion” are also widely used, “repulsing” often conveys a moment of immediate, visceral reaction.
adjectiveCausing intense disgust or aversion; repellent or loathsome.
- Causing disgust, aversion, or loathing.
"The prospect of eating insects was utterly repulsing to him."
"The film contained several repulsing scenes that many viewers found difficult to watch."
"She described the idea of lying in the negotiations as morally repulsing."
A word can be so repellent that the mind draws back from it, just as the body recoils from an unpleasant touch.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does repulsing come from?
The word “repulsing” is formed from “repulse,” which comes from Latin “repellere,” meaning “to drive back” or “repel.” The Latin verb combines the prefix “re-” with “pellere,” a form related to words such as “pulse” and “impel.” In English, the sense developed from physically driving someone away to describing something that causes disgust or aversion.
Related word forms
How repulsing is actually used
The adjective is relatively formal but widely understood. It is stronger and more emotionally emphatic than “unpleasant,” and it commonly describes things that provoke physical disgust as well as moral revulsion.
Easily confused with repulsing
Both describe something that arouses disgust, but “repulsive” often emphasizes an enduring or intense quality, whereas “repulsing” commonly describes an immediate sight, smell, act, or idea.