repugnant
UK[rɪˈpʌɡnənt]US[rɪˈpʌɡnənt]
adj
extremely unpleasant or offensive
adj
in conflict with or incompatible with something
Morpheme Breakdown
re
pugn
ant
re
back, against
pugn
fight
ant
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'repugnant' originates from the latin verb 'repugnare', meaning 'to fight against'. this verb itself is a compound of the prefix 're-', indicating opposition, and 'pugnare', meaning 'to fight'. the core root 'pugn-' can be traced back to the proto-indo-european root peuk-, meaning 'to prick' or 'to fight', which also gives us words like 'pugnacious' and 'pugilist'. over time, the literal sense of physical fighting evolved into the figurative sense of strong opposition or conflict, leading to the modern meaning of something so offensive it provokes a feeling of strong aversion or moral resistance.
Analysis
Structure: re (back, against) + pugn (fight) + ant (adjective suffix)
re- (latin prefix meaning 'back' or 'against'), pugn (from latin 'pugnare', meaning 'to fight'), -ant (latin adjectival suffix meaning 'being in a state of' or 'performing an action').
Examples
the idea of cheating was morally repugnant to her.
i find the smell of that chemical utterly repugnant.
his actions were repugnant to the principles of the organization.