1. A chemical substance that repels animals
   "They sprayed mosquito repellent before going hiking";
   - repellant
    
2. A compound with which fabrics are treated to repel water
   "The outdoor gear was coated with a water repellent to keep hikers dry";
   - repellant
    
3. The power to repel
   "she knew many repellents to his advances";
   - repellant

1. Highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
   "the town's repellent smell was from the factory nearby";
   - disgusting, disgustful [archaic], foul, loathly [literary], loathsome, repellant, revolting, wicked, yucky [informal], gross-out [informal], loathful [archaic], yukky [informal], sickening, nauseating, vile
    
2. Serving or tending to repel
   "I find his obsequiousness repellent";
   - rebarbative, repellant
    
3. Incapable of absorbing or mixing with
   "a water-repellent fabric";
   - resistant

Derived forms: repellents

See also: distasteful, gut-wrenching, nonabsorbent, nonabsorptive, offensive, unpleasant, unsavory [US], unsavoury [Brit, Cdn]

Type of: chemical compound, compound, power, powerfulness

Encyclopedia: Repellent