# repulse

> English word · Verb · IPA /ɹɪˈpʌls/ · frequency rank #50,192

## Definitions
1. To repel or drive back.
2. To reject or rebuff.
3. To cause revulsion in; to repel.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin repulsus, from repellere (“to drive back”), from re- (“back”) + pellere (“to drive”).
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
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/repulse