repugnance

Also re·pug·nan·cy

[ri-puhg-nuhns]

noun

1. the state of being repugnant.

2. strong distaste, aversion, or objection; antipathy.

   Synonyms: hostility, hatred
   Antonyms: liking, attraction

3. contradictoriness or inconsistency.

   Synonyms: irreconcilability, incompatibility, contrariety
   Antonyms: compatibility

Word History and Origins

Origin of repugnance¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Latin repugnantia, equivalent to repugn ( āre ) to repugn + -antia -ance

Synonym Study

See dislike.

Example Sentences

Her Coachella set stared down repugnance and pushed against it, radiating so brightly it consumed the darkness, if only for a night.

From Salon

This reflects the repugnance of sex tourism in today’s Nagasaki, the latest form of white gaze.

From Los Angeles Times

The rest of the world, which recoils in repugnance at whom we have become, does not take us seriously.

From Salon

Beyond its obvious repugnance in moral terms, Abe’s murder challenges us to consider what implications his sudden loss might have for the political future, in Japan and globally.

From Washington Post

They dyed the slime green, of course, just to up the ante on kids’ pleasure and parents’ repugnance.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• aversion