What does repulsiveness mean?
Repulsiveness is the formal noun meaning the quality of being extremely unpleasant, disgusting, or repellent. It is often used for people whose appearance, behavior, or character causes others to recoil, and it is particularly common in discussions of cruelty, offensiveness, and moral ugliness. Unlike “repulsion,” which can describe a particular act or feeling of aversion, “repulsiveness” focuses on the quality possessed by a person or thing. The word is more typical of formal, literary, or analytical writing than of casual conversation. It can also describe the quality of something that produces intense dislike, whether because of its physical appearance, its social impact, or its perceived moral character. In this sense, it is stronger and more emotionally charged than merely being unpleasant.
nounThe quality of being repellent or disgusting, especially through cruel, unpleasant, or morally objectionable behavior. It may also refer to the power of something to arouse strong aversion.
- The quality of being repulsive or extremely unpleasant.
- The quality of arousing strong aversion or moral disgust.
"The candidate's repulsiveness to voters was evident in the increasingly hostile reactions at rallies."
"The repulsiveness of the abandoned building made it impossible for the children to play there."
"Her speech was marked by a repulsiveness that silenced every person in the room."
Rare; the abstract noun is normally used in the singular.
"The novel examines several different forms of repulsivenesses in public life."
Repulsiveness can describe not only an unpleasant appearance, but also a person whose behavior makes others instinctively recoil.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of repulsiveness
The word is derived from “repulse,” which comes from Latin “repellere,” meaning “to drive back” or “to repel.” “Repulsiveness” was formed by adding the suffix “-ness,” which turns a related adjective into a noun naming a quality. The family includes “repel,” “repulsive,” “repulsion,” and “repellent,” all sharing the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How repulsiveness is actually used
This is a formal noun, less common in everyday speech than “the repulsive nature of something” or “how disgusting something is.” It often describes cruelty, ugliness, vulgarity, or other strongly alienating qualities, and can be especially forceful when referring to a person or group.
Easily confused with repulsiveness
Repulsion usually names an act or feeling of strong aversion, whereas repulsiveness is the quality or quality-like character of something that causes disgust.