repulse
UK[rɪˈpʌls]US[rɪˈpʌls]
v
To drive back or repel an attack or attacker.
v
To reject or refuse an offer, suggestion, or person in a way that is unfriendly or causes disgust.
n
The action of driving back an attack or the feeling of strong disgust and aversion.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
pulse
re
back, again
pulse
drive, push
Etymology
The word "repulse" entered English in the 16th century from the Latin verb repellere, meaning "to drive back." This Latin source is a compound of the prefix re- ("back") and the verb pellere ("to drive, push"). The core concept has always been one of forceful rejection or driving away. Over time, the physical sense of repelling a military assault was joined by a psychological sense, where an idea or advance is metaphorically pushed back with similar force, often evoking feelings of disgust or strong aversion. The modern spelling "pulse" reflects a common phonetic and orthographic evolution from the Latin participial stem puls-.
Analysis
Structure: re (back, again) + pulse (drive, push)
re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "back" or "again."
pulse: Derived from the Latin root puls-, from the verb pellere, meaning "to drive, to push, to strike."
Examples
The defenders managed to repulse the enemy assault.
She was repulsed by the graphic images in the documentary.
His awkward proposal met with an immediate and firm repulse.