What does repulsion mean?
Repulsion is a noun meaning a strong feeling of disgust, dislike, or moral aversion toward someone or something. It often suggests an instinctive or forceful rejection rather than mild dissatisfaction: a person may describe an act as inspiring repulsion because it seems cruel, offensive, or morally unacceptable. The word also has a scientific meaning. In physics and chemistry, repulsion is the force or interaction that pushes objects, particles, or charges apart, as in electromagnetic repulsion. This range of meanings makes repulsion useful whenever something is being driven away, either emotionally or physically. It is more common in formal writing and serious discussion than in casual conversation, although people often say they felt repulsion when describing something profoundly distasteful. The related adjective is repulsive, meaning disgusting or tending to drive something away.
nounA strong feeling of aversion or disgust toward someone or something. In physical contexts, it refers to a force or interaction that pushes objects or charges apart.
- A strong feeling of disgust, dislike, or moral aversion toward someone or something.
- The physical force or interaction that tends to drive objects, particles, or charges apart.
- The act or effect of driving something back or keeping something at a distance.
"She felt a deep repulsion toward the idea of harming anyone for personal gain."
"The cruelty of the regime prompted immediate repulsion among witnesses."
"Electromagnetic repulsion keeps the negatively charged particles from collapsing into one another."
The plural is uncommon in emotional contexts but is standard when referring to separate instances of physical or interpersonal repulsion.
"The mutual repulsions between the charged particles prevented them from approaching one another."
From the Latin idea of driving something back, repulsion can describe both the recoil of a feeling and the invisible push between charged particles.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does repulsion come from?
Repulsion comes from Latin repulsio, a noun meaning “a driving back,” formed from repellere, “to drive back or repel.” The English word developed through French and was used both for the physical act of driving something away and for strong emotional dislike. Related English words such as repel, repulse, repulsive, and repellent share the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How repulsion is actually used
The word is formal or literary in emotional contexts, where it often conveys a stronger reaction than simple dislike. In physics and chemistry, it is a standard technical term for an interaction that pushes objects or charges apart.
Easily confused with repulsion
Repulsion means strong aversion or a force pushing things apart, whereas repression means suppressing thoughts, feelings, or actions.