Re**pel" (r?-p?l"), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Repelled (-p?ld"); p. pr. & vb.
n. Repelling.] [L. repellere, repulsum;
pref. re- re- + pellere to drive. See Pulse a
beating, and cf. Repulse, Repeal.] 1.
To drive back; to force to return; to check the advance of; to
repulse as, to repel an enemy or an assailant.
Hippomedon repelled the hostile
tide.
Pope.
They repelled each other strongly, and yet
attracted each other strongly.
Macaulay.
2. To resist or oppose effectually; as, to
repel an assault, an encroachment, or an argument.
[He] gently repelled their
entreaties.
Hawthorne.
Syn. -- Tu repulse; resist; oppose; reject; refuse.
Re*pel", v. i. To act with force in
opposition to force impressed; to exercise repulsion.