re ‧ pel /rɪˈpel/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle repelled , present participle repelling )
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: repellere , from pellere 'to drive' ]
1 . [transitive] if something repels you, it is so unpleasant that you do not want to be near it, or it makes you feel ill ⇨ repulsive :
The smell repelled him.
2 . [transitive] to make someone who is attacking you go away, by fighting them:
The army was ready to repel an attack.
3 . [transitive] to keep something or someone away from you:
a lotion that repels mosquitoes
4 . [intransitive and transitive] technical if two things repel each other, they push each other away with an electrical force OPP attract :
Two positive charges repel each other.