repellent
adjective
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Definition of repellent
(Entry 1 of 2)
repellent
nounDefinition of repellent (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for repellent
Synonyms: Adjective
abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, distasteful, dreadful, evil, foul, fulsome, gross, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, noxious, obnoxious, obscene, odious, offensive, rancid, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, scandalous, shocking, sickening, ugly
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of repellent in a Sentence
Adjective
The candle has a repellent effect on insects. your snobbish behavior towards my friends is so repellent I can't stand to be around you anymoreNoun
a can of insect repellent Coat the exterior with a water repellent.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Bea and Alex are the children of two repellent parents: a fabulously wealthy real estate developer and a shockingly narcissistic woman. — Ron Charles Critic, Washington Post, "In Sadie Jones’s “The Snakes,” parents are more venomous than reptiles," 2 July 2019 Suddenly, every slur, insult, and caricature seems like a golden opportunity to commodify and profit from the most repellent sound bites. — Sonia K. Katyal, BostonGlobe.com, "The sudden rush of vulgar trademarks," 23 June 2018 Meanwhile, national Republicans have been coping with a Hobbesian choice between losing a Senate seat or tainting themselves by association with a bizarre and repellent Old South character right out of Flannery O’Connor. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Alabama Preview: Turnout Will Win It For Moore or Jones, But Republicans Will Have a Headache Either Way," 11 Dec. 2017 But the tactic became far more effective — indeed, electorally triumphant — when the actions being profiled were so genuinely repellent to much of the country. — Berny Belvedere, National Review, "Yes, the Democratic Party’s Polarization Helps Explain Trump’s Rise," 11 Oct. 2017 Nevertheless, the types who surfaced in Charlottesville on Saturday are certainly human beings of the most repellent and disgusting sort, murderous too—pretty much violent, evil sociopaths. — WSJ, "Notable & Quotable: The White Supremacist Fringe," 13 Aug. 2017 The history of politically inexperienced, personally repellent third-rate television personalities with anger issues who managed to parlay their fame into high office does not begin with Donald Trump. — Kyle Smith, National Review, "Al Franken, Un-Funny Man of the Senate," 7 Aug. 2017 But this documentary posits a revision of food history, chronicling the life of the magnetic, repellent man who changed American dining, then disappeared. — Seattle Times Staff, The Seattle Times, "9 movies open May 5; our reviewers weigh in," 5 May 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Many outdoor events have been canceled, and residents are cautioned to use repellent containing DEET, avoid being outside between dusk and dawn, wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants, and dump any standing water. — John Laidler, BostonGlobe.com, "Mosquitoes carrying EEE virus found west of Boston," 21 Aug. 2019 The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems. — Other Voices, cleveland.com, "Cleveland APL Pet Tip: Keep your pets safe this 4th of July (Community Voices)," 27 June 2019 One of the best methods of protection against ticks and mosquitoes is using insect repellent containing DEET. — Kara Carter, M.d., Houston Chronicle, "The bugs are back in town so know how to avoid them," 10 June 2019 The Auburn Journal reported in a front-page article on Aug. 29, 1979, that DeAngelo had been dismissed from the Auburn police force for stealing a can of dog repellent and a hammer from a Sacramento drugstore. — Joseph Serna, latimes.com, "Golden State Killer suspect known for cursing, angry outbursts, say neighbors who called him 'freak'," 26 Apr. 2018 They were told a woman in the home had sprayed bear repellent at a contract crew from the California Office of Emergency Services that was assessing property as part of the Camp Fire cleanup. — Chico Er, The Mercury News, "Standoff in Camp Fire zone: Woman allegedly bear-sprayed cleanup crew," 21 Aug. 2019 Orange oil soaks into the bark and wood, kills the borers and sets up a repellent fragrance. — Howard Garrett, Dallas News, "Is that tree damage from woodpeckers or borer insects?," 13 Aug. 2019 Use mosquito repellents to protect horses and people from mosquito bites. — Forum News Service, Twin Cities, "3 different equine diseases have sickened horses in Minnesota, officials report," 13 Aug. 2019 In the shade of a creaky, metal awning, Schneider briefed the nine trainees wearing orange hardhats about safety precautions that included CPR, heat-stress warnings and insect repellent. — Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, "CPS Energy prepares next generation of San Antonio utility workers," 31 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'repellent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for repellent
repellent
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of repellent
(Entry 1 of 2)
repellent
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of repellent (Entry 2 of 2)