repulse
re·pulse/ɹɪˈpʌls/verb, noun
repulse is spelled R-E-P-U-L-S-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables (re·pulse). It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 49,949th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, repulse means “To repel or drive back” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in repulse?
| Letters | 7: R-E-P-U-L-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: re·pulse |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 49,949th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is repulse?
Repulse appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 49,949th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce repulse?
- US /ɹɪˈpʌls/
- Australia /ɹɪˈpɐls/
- /ɹəˈpɐls/
Repulse has 2 syllables, split re·pulse in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-repulse.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with repulse?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as repulse from its last stressed vowel (/ʌls/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: slurpee.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of repulse
- repulses present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- repulsing participle, present
- repulsed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does repulse mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To repel or drive back.
to repulse an assault; to repulse the enemy
- 2
To reject or rebuff.
to repulse a suitor
- 3
To cause revulsion in; to repel.
The smell of rotting food repulsed me.
noun
- 1
The act of repulsing or the state of being repulsed.
- 2
Refusal, rejection or repulsion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Repulse in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to cause revulsion:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | repulsar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does repulse come from?
Inherited from Middle English repulsen, a learned borrowing from Latin repulsus, from repellō. For spelling, as in pulse, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in pulls, and does not change the vowel (‘u’). Compare else, false, convulse.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).