What does repulsive mean?
Repulsive means so unpleasant, unattractive, or morally objectionable that it produces disgust or intense aversion. The word is commonly used for physical qualities, such as a foul smell or an unbearable sight, but it also has a powerful moral sense: an act or practice may be called repulsive because it is shocking, degrading, or fundamentally wrong. Its force is stronger and more emphatic than that of “unpleasant,” and it often suggests a strong emotional response rather than mild dislike. Repulsive can also describe a place, person, prospect, or idea, although direct application to a person is comparatively unusual and can sound especially harsh. The adjective is commonly intensified with “deeply,” “physically,” “visually,” or “morally.” Its Latin roots connect it with “repel,” “repulsion,” and “repellent,” reflecting the basic idea of driving something or someone away.
adjectiveCausing a strong feeling of disgust, aversion, or loathing; deeply unappealing.
- Causing disgust or intense aversion.
- Extremely unattractive or unpleasant to look at, hear, smell, or experience.
- Morally abhorrent or deeply objectionable.
"The idea of spending another evening there was genuinely repulsive to her."
"The chemical smell was so repulsive that she opened every window."
"His account of the abuse made clear how repulsive and morally indefensible the practice was."
Repulsive comes from the Latin verb repellere, meaning “to drive back” or “repel,” so the word literally evokes something that pushes you away in disgust.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of repulsive
Repulsive was formed in the early nineteenth century from the Latin repellere, meaning “to drive back” or “repel,” together with the suffix -ive. Related English forms include “repel,” “repulse,” “repulsion,” and “repellent.” The word originally expressed the quality of driving something away and developed its modern sense of causing disgust or intense loathing.
Related word forms
How repulsive is actually used
The word is strongly evaluative and may sound more formal or categorical than words such as “unpleasant.” It can describe sensory qualities, experiences, ideas, places, people, and actions, though it is generally avoided in careful writing when describing a person directly.
Easily confused with repulsive
Repulsive describes something that arouses disgust or intense aversion, whereas repellent can mean something that drives something away or, as an adjective, something that is especially attractive in a striking or unusual way.
Repulsive is an adjective describing an unpleasant quality, while repulsion is the noun for the feeling or act of being repelled.