repugnant
adjective
re·pug·nant
ri-ˈpəg-nənt 
1
: causing a strong feeling of distaste or aversion
repugnant language
a morally repugnant practice
2
: incompatible, inconsistent
… a seizure with consequences … repugnant to the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution …—
State v. Barcia, 549 A.2d 491 (1988)
State v. Barcia, 549 A.2d 491 (1988)3
archaic
: hostile
repugnantly
adverb
Examples of repugnant in a Sentence
technically speaking, it may not be a violation, but it is certainly repugnant to the spirit of the law
Recent Examples on the Web
Charlie, Rachel and Mike’s confessions range between youthfully jerky to downright repugnant.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Maybe the closest thing the movie has to a thesis comes when one of the contestants flies a drone to the sisters and tries to offer a compromise via a loophole in the rules that could spare all of them, if Grace is willing to make a repugnant sacrifice.
—Jada Yuan, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
However, some previous instances have been fairly repugnant.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Humanities scholar Leon Kass famously argued that human reproductive cloning is repugnant — akin to cannibalism or bestiality.
—Zubin Master, STAT, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repugnant
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Brian Truitt, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Maybe the closest thing the movie has to a thesis comes when one of the contestants flies a drone to the sisters and tries to offer a compromise via a loophole in the rules that could spare all of them, if Grace is willing to make a repugnant sacrifice.
—Jada Yuan, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
However, some previous instances have been fairly repugnant.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Humanities scholar Leon Kass famously argued that human reproductive cloning is repugnant — akin to cannibalism or bestiality.
—Zubin Master, STAT, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repugnant
Cite this Entry
“Repugnant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repugnant. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
repugnant
adjective
re·pug·nant
ri-ˈpəg-nənt
2
: causing a feeling of dislike or disgust : repulsive
repugnantly
adverb
Legal Definition
repugnant
adjective
re·pug·nant
ri-ˈpəg-nənt
: characterized by contradiction and irreconcilability
the arbitrator's decision was not repugnant to the Act—M. A. Kelly
M. A. KellyLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
