repellent

comparative more repellent · superlative most repellent · alternative repellant

1. Repulsive, inspiring aversion.

   The mixture of whey, beetroot juice, and spirulina seems repellent to me.

   2 more examples

   People are rightly and justifiably terrified with our culture. Many aspects of it are destructive and repellant.

   1978 December 23, Michael Bronski, “Notes and Thoughts by One Gay Man on Pornography and Censorship”, in Gay Community News, volume 6, number 22, page 11

   [Martin] Heidegger's repellent political beliefs do not contaminate his philosophical work.

   2014 April 12, Michael Inwood, “Martin Heidegger: the philosopher who fell for Hitler [print version: Hitler's philosopher]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), London, page R11

   Synonyms: aversive

2. Resistant or impervious to something.

   All that fabric's supposed to be dust-repellent.

3. archaicnatural sciencesTending or able to repel; driving back.

   These particles exercise a-highly repellent force.

plural repellents · alternative repellant

1. A substance or solution used to repel insects, dangerous animals, or other pests.

   None of the mosquito repellents we've tried work.

   1 more example

   The most successful form of shark repellent, according to US Naval Research Laboratory tests, was a combination of copper acetate and a dark nigrosine dye, and cakes of this mixture were apparently now attached to the Mae Wests of all the US Armed Forces.

   1954, Ian Fleming, “Beau Desert”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 192

2. A substance or treatment for a fabric etc to make it impervious to something.

   They applied dirt repellent to the sports car.

3. broadlyobsoleteSomeone or something that repels.