Repulsions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The action of pushing something away or causing it to retreat is combined with strong feelings of intense dislike toward individuals or ideas as well as the physical forces that keep entities apart
2. This includes the act of rejecting or driving away an object, emotional responses of extreme aversion, and scientific principles that lead to the separation of materials
3. Physical powers that cause objects or particles to move away from each other ; intense emotions of aversion or disgust toward people or ideas

Etymology: "Repulsions" is simply the plural of "repulsion", so the history belongs to the singular. The noun was borrowed from Middle French "répulsion", which came from Late Latin "repulsio", a noun built on the Latin past participle "repulsus" of "repellere", "to drive back". That verb combines "re-", "back", with "pellere", "to drive or push", so the core idea of the word is literally pushing something away. Over time the sense stayed close to that physical image of driving back, and in physics the plural "repulsions" names the forces that push objects apart, the opposite of attraction.

Synonyms: aversion, disgust, repugnance, revulsion, loathing

Antonyms: attraction, affection, liking, fondness, love