每日单词：repulse

SAT GRE

repulse

英 [rɪ'pʌls] 美 [rɪ'pʌls]

n.击退；拒绝 v.击退；拒绝

◉Etymology

“Repulse”源自拉丁语“repulsus”，是动词“repellere”的过去分词，意为“推回”或“击退”。“Repellere”由前缀“re-”（向后）和“pellere”（推动、驱赶）组成，与“propel”（推进）、“expel”（驱逐）等词同根。“Pellere”源于印欧语系的“*pel-”（打击、推），暗示一种有力的动作。这个词在14世纪进入英语，最初用于军事领域，指击退敌人，后扩展到情感层面，表示厌恶或拒绝。其语感刚硬而直接，带有一种对抗性的力量。

◉外刊例句

① 《The Washington Post》 (2023年9月28日)

Ukrainian forces repulsed a Russian advance near the eastern front.

乌克兰部队在东线附近击退了俄罗斯的进攻。

② 《The Guardian》 (2024年7月10日)

The smell of decay repulsed visitors to the abandoned site."

腐臭的气味让参观废弃地点的人感到厌恶。

◉经典名著

① 《麦克白》（Macbeth）——威廉·莎士比亚 (约1606年)

The rebels were repulsed with great slaughter by Macbeth’s loyal troops.

叛军被麦克白的忠诚部队以巨大的伤亡击退。

② 《简·爱》（Jane Eyre）——夏洛蒂·勃朗特 (1847年)

His cold arrogance repulsed her, though she longed to understand him.

他冷漠的傲慢让她感到厌恶，尽管她渴望理解他。

◉Usage Examples

(1) After the second repulse, the enemy surrendered.

(2) Her repulse was quite unexpected.

(3) Her request for a donation met with a rude repulse.

(4) Do I repulse you with my queasy smile?

(5) The city garrison must be prepared to repulse attacks.

(6) I repulsed her kindness.

(7) She repulsed his proposal.

(1) 在第二次击退之后，敌人投降了。

(2) 她的拒绝是完全出人意料的。

(3) 她要求赞助却遭到粗暴拒绝。

(4) 我诡异的笑脸让你知难而退了吗？

(5) 现在必须巩固要塞，囤积兵力来阻挡敌人的进攻。

(6) 我拒绝了她的好意。

(7) 她拒绝了他的求婚。

◉Usage Notes

To repulse something is to repel it or drive it back. When you repulse your sister, you disgust her. When you repulse the enemy in battle or someone in conversation, you force them back or make them turn away.

Repulse is related to the word repel, and they mean similar things: to repulse an advance — romantic or warring — is to repel, or fend off, its advance. To repulse someone by being disgusting is to be repellent. You could repulse a person's attempts at conversation if you repulse him by picking your nose. Repulse is now most frequently used in the gross-out sense, but Jane Austin often had her characters repulse each others’ attempts at conversation or civility.

◉Colins

1. [VERB 动词]使憎恶；使反感 If you are repulsed by something, you think that it is horrible and disgusting and you want to avoid it. [be V-ed] [usu passive]

Evil has charisma. Though people are repulsed by it, they also are drawn to its power.

邪恶具有吸引力。虽然人们憎恶它，但还是被它的力量所吸引。

2. [VERB 动词]击退 If an army or other group repulses a group of people, they drive it back using force. [V n]

The armed forces were prepared to repulse any attacks.

武装部队已作好击退任何进攻的准备。