Repulsion
/rɪˈpʌlʃən/
nounB2
Definition
Repulsion means a strong feeling that makes you want to stay away from something because you find it unpleasant or disgusting. It can also mean a physical force that pushes two things apart, like magnets with the same poles. People use "repulsion" both for feelings and for physical forces.
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See It in Action
A strong feeling of dislike or disgust
- •She felt repulsion when she saw the dirty kitchen.
- •His repulsion for violence was clear in his words.
- •Many people feel repulsion toward cruelty.
A physical force that pushes objects apart
- •The repulsion between two magnets with the same poles is strong.
- •Scientists study the repulsion forces in electric charges.
- •Repulsion keeps the two objects from touching each other.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "repulsion" like "dislike" (A1 word), but much stronger—it's not just "I don't like it," it's "I want to get far away."
- ✓Picture a magnet pushing another magnet away when their same sides face each other.
- ✓It's the feeling you get when you see something very dirty or scary that makes you want to turn away quickly.
- ✓Sounds like "re-PULL-shun" → imagine something pulling you back strongly, pushing you away.
- ✓Imagine the story of two magnets that cannot touch because they push each other away.
- ✓NOT like "attraction" (pulling things together), repulsion pushes things apart.
- ✓NOT like "dislike" (a mild feeling), repulsion is a strong, often physical or emotional force.
- ✓NOT like "fear" (feeling scared), repulsion is about strong dislike or pushing away.
Try Other Words
- •Aversion: strong dislike or unwillingness (Use when focusing on a strong feeling of avoiding something)
- •Disgust: strong feeling of dislike often related to something dirty or unpleasant (Use when the feeling is about something gross or shocking)
- •Push away: physical or emotional action of moving something or someone away (Use for physical force or emotional distance)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: prefix "re-" (back, again) + root "puls" from Latin "pellere" meaning to push + suffix "-ion" (noun form)
- •Etymology: From Latin "repulsio," meaning the act of pushing back or driving away
- •Historical development: Used first in English in the 1600s to describe physical forces and emotional feelings of rejection
- •Modern usage: Common in science for forces and in everyday language for strong feelings of dislike or disgust
Reflect & Connect
•Can repulsion be a useful feeling to protect us from danger or bad situations? How?
•How do physical repulsion forces help us understand emotional repulsion better?
Fill in the blanks
1.People often feel repulsion ___ something dirty or unpleasant to see or smell.
2.The repulsion between two magnets makes them ___ each other instead of coming together.
3.Unlike simple dislike, repulsion is a ___ feeling that makes you want to avoid something completely.
4.When someone shows repulsion ___ violence, they strongly reject it and want no part in it.
5.Repulsion can be both a physical force and an ___ feeling.
6.If two objects attract, they pull together; if they repel, the repulsion ___ them apart.
7.She felt a strong repulsion ___ the idea of eating insects, which made her refuse immediately.