Repugnances

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A strong feeling of distaste or aversion towards something unpleasant or objectionable may be characterized as intense dislike or loathing; this term can also refer to conflicts between moral or ethical standards that evoke discomfort
2. The intense feelings of distaste or aversion towards specific actions, ideas, or behaviors can manifest as extreme opposition or rejection; this word often indicates moral conflict resulting in strong emotional responses
3. Strongly felt aversions or distastes towards certain actions or beliefs can lead to a profound sense of revulsion; this term may also describe ethical conflicts that provoke immediate and forceful rejection

Etymology: "Repugnances" is simply the plural of "repugnance", so it names several instances of strong aversion or of clashing moral standards at once. The singular comes into English from Middle English, and it reached there from Old French "repugnance", which in turn descends from the Latin "repugnantia", a noun built on "repugnare", "to fight against" or "to resist". The Latin root is a compound of "re-" (back, against) and "pugnare" (to fight), so the underlying image is of opposing forces pushing back against one another. The English word has a close relative, "repugnancy", which came into the language by a separate route from the same Latin source and so exists alongside it as a doublet. Both carry the sense of resistance that the Latin verb gave them, which is why the modern meaning of inner revulsion can be read as a feeling that pushes back against something.

Synonyms: aversion, disgust, revulsion