repulse

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin repulsus, from repellere (“to drive back”), from re- (“back”) + pellere (“to drive”). 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.

verb

1. (transitive) To repel or drive back.
   to repulse an assault; to repulse the enemy
2. (transitive) To reject or rebuff.
   to repulse a suitor
3. (transitive) To cause revulsion in.
   The smell of rotting food repulsed me.
   I find your conduct reprehensible, disgusting, and it repulses me, the way a mongoose repulses a snake.

noun

1. the act of repulsing or the state of being repulsed
2. refusal, rejection or repulsion