Repulsive is an adjective with three main senses. It can describe something that looks shockinglyin a way that causes strong surprise or disgust ugly, something that is morallyin a way related to right and wrong behavior or mentally offensive, or a force that pushesmoves objects away with applied force things away.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-14. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /rɪˈpʌlsɪv/
Easy pronunciation: rih-PUL-siv (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress falls on the second syllable: PUL.
Used in the sense of offensive to the mind; very unpleasant, disgusting, or morally offensive.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-14. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Repulsive Meaning
very unpleasant, disgusting, or morally offensive
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: offensive to the mind
Example: His repulsive behavior shocked everyone at the table.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- abhorrent — Strong substitute when something is morally hateful or offensive.
- detestable — Works well for behavior, people, or things that are strongly disliked.
- repugnant — A close synonym for something extremely offensive or disgusting.
- obscene — Fits when repulsive means offensively sexual, vulgar, or indecent.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-14. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Repulsive
Meaning 2
very ugly in a shocking or frightening way
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: so extremely ugly as to be terrifying
Example: The old mask had a repulsive face with hollow eyes.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- hideous — A strong match for frighteningly ugly appearance.
Meaning 3
pushing things away; opposite of attractive
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: possessing the ability to repel
Example: The magnets created a repulsive force.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-14. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Repulsive Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- abhorrent
- detestable
- repugnant
so extremely ugly as to be terrifying
- hideous
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-14. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes confuse repulsive with repellent. They are related, but repulsive usually means disgusting or offensive, while repellent often means something that drives things away or causes disgust.
- Do not use repulsive for the physical sense of force unless the context is science or physics.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-14. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does repulsive mean?
Repulsive usually means very disgusting, offensive, or unpleasant. It can also describe something extremely ugly or a force that pushes things away.
What is a synonym for repulsive?
Good synonyms depend on the sense. For the common moral or emotional sense, abhorrent, detestable, and repugnant are strong synonyms.
Can repulsive describe appearance?
Yes. In that sense, it means extremely ugly or frightening to look at.
Is repulsive the same as attractive?
No. In the physics sense, repulsive means pushing things apart, which is the opposite of attractive.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-14. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.