repulse
/ɹɪˈpʌls/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.55 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The act of repulsing or the state of being repulsed.
Example Sentences
- "to repulse an assault; to repulse the enemy"
- "If we fail to repulse the enemy within the gates--unemployment, poverty, disorganized agriculture and the like--from whence may we expect the united strength and clear purpose to repulse any outside force?"
- "to repulse a suitor"
- "At the end of a week, she could bear the suspense no longer, and so went humbly to her old home and sought forgiveness. She was not repulsed, but her reception was cold; and this hurt her almost as badly."
- "The smell of rotting food repulsed me."
- "I find your conduct reprehensible, disgusting, and it repulses me, the way a mongoose repulses a snake."
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English repulsen, a learned borrowing from Latin repulsus, from repellō. For spelling, as in pulse, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in pulls, and does not change the vowel (‘u’). Compare else, false, convulse.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɹɪˈpʌls/
- British English: /ɹɪˈpʌls/