as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
a repulsive display of shameless flattery that made the embarrassed actor wrinkle his nose in disgust
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of repulsive
Seven glass bottles had been sitting in storage for many years, and one held precious, though repulsive, evidence of a medicine only mentioned in textual sources.
—
Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
Only Birdie finds this plan repulsive, knowing this would be the ruin of her beloved niece.
—Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Or what would be attractive or repulsive to a researcher.
—Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
Researchers gained clues as to why some people taking GLP-1 drugs experience shifts in their favorite foods—suddenly finding meats repulsive or fried foods too heavy.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for repulsive
Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
Only Birdie finds this plan repulsive, knowing this would be the ruin of her beloved niece.
—Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Or what would be attractive or repulsive to a researcher.
—Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
Researchers gained clues as to why some people taking GLP-1 drugs experience shifts in their favorite foods—suddenly finding meats repulsive or fried foods too heavy.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for repulsive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repulsive
Adjective
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Living under an openly misogynistic president may have felt freakish in 2017, but by his second term, bigotry became yet another disgusting norm.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
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The amount of disrespect shown the Broncos is disgusting.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The outcome was already decided – an ugly display of basketball that was never competitive – but potentially losing Doncic proverbially sucked the oxygen out of the visitors’ locker room after the game.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
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Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Thanks to Epperson’s goal from the front-left side of the crease in the second OT, the Pioneers avoided a sickening taste of déjà vu.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
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Every repeat viewing of Abraham's performance reveals some new moment of humiliation — some fresh sickening glimmer of anguish that feels all too familiar.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The timing is awful, as Rodon was scheduled to make a rehab start with the Yankees' Double-A affiliate.—
Logan Brown,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
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The Broncos were awful on the ground.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This is going to be a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
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In another case, a 10-year-old girl contracted horrible lesions on 10 percent of her body — mostly on her legs — after contact with giant hogweed.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The noise is hideous, but the pollution is much worse.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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But once, my roommate had hung this hideous rack of dusty old spices above the stove.—
Alyse Whitney,
Saveur,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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One of these friends, over the last five years, has become more and more obnoxious with his late-night drinking.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
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Headphones are needed in obnoxious 2000s music playing.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Marin stuck to her plan of staying close until a moment that changed everything with shocking swiftness — her changing her mind and going for the green on the par-5 13th for a go-ahead birdie, and Talley adding to the sad history of collapses on the back nine at the home of the Masters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Emma’s shocking admission rattles the entire wedding party, particularly Haim’s Rachel, whose cousin was left paralyzed by an act of gun violence.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Repulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repulsive. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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