repelling

re·pel  (r-pl)

v. re·pelled, re·pel·ling, re·pels

v.tr.

1. To ward off or keep away; drive back: repel insects.

2. To offer resistance to; fight against: repel an invasion.

3. To refuse to accept; reject: a company that was trying to repel a hostile takeover.

4. To turn away from; spurn.

5. To cause aversion or distaste in: Your rudeness repels everyone. See Synonyms at disgust. See Usage Note at repulse.

6. To be resistant to; be incapable of absorbing or mixing with: Oil repels water.

7. Physics To present an opposing force to; push back or away by a force: Electric charges of the same sign repel one another.

v.intr.

1. To offer a resistant force to something.

2. To cause aversion or distaste: behavior that repels.

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[Middle English repellen, from Old French repeller, from Latin repellere : re-, re- + pellere, to drive; see pel-⁵ in Indo-European roots.]

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re·peller n.

Thesaurus

Adj.

1.

repelling - highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust; "a disgusting smell"; "distasteful language"; "a loathsome disease"; "the idea of eating meat is repellent to me"; "revolting food"; "a wicked stench" foul, loathly, disgustful, disgusting, revolting, skanky, yucky, distasteful, loathsome, repellant, repellent, wicked offensive - unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses; "offensive odors"