Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive.
  • adjective Logic Contradictory; inconsistent.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Opposing; resisting; refractory; disposed to oppose or antagonize.
  • Standing or being in opposition; opposite; contrary; contradictory; at variance; inconsistent.
  • In law, contrary to or inconsistent with another part of the same document or law, or of another which must be construed with it: generally used of a clause inconsistent with some other clause or with the general object of the instrument.
  • Causing mental antagonism or aversion; highly distasteful; offensive.
  • Synonyms Opposed, irreconcilable.
  • Disagreeable. See antipathy.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Disposed to fight against; hostile; at war with; being at variance; contrary; inconsistent; refractory; disobedient; also, distasteful in a high degree; offensive; -- usually followed by to, rarely and less properly by with.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Offensive or repulsive; arousing disgust or aversion.
  • adjective law Opposed or in conflict.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective offensive to the mind

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, antagonistic, from Old French, from Latin repugnāns, repugnant-, present participle of repugnāre, to fight against; see repugn.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French repugnant, borrowed from Latin repugnans, present participle of repugnare ("to oppose, to fight against"), from re- ("back, against") + pugnare ("to fight"); see pugnacious.

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Examples

  • We find the term repugnant and impossible to define.

    On this very day, 65 years ago... 2006

  • The leaders of two Baltic countries aren't coming, in part because the Soviet Union's World War II victory marked the beginning of what they call "an occupation," a term repugnant to Moscow.

    How to Handle Russia? 2007

  • Also morally repugnant is your view that the right of racists to discriminate in employment or public accommodations has a positive value.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » The “Racist” Charge 2010

  • Also morally repugnant is your view that not having your car be keyed should be considered a right, but not being discriminated against in employment or public accommodations should be considered, as you called it, a “mere preference.”

    The Volokh Conspiracy » The “Racist” Charge 2010

  • “Also morally repugnant is your view that not having your car be keyed should be considered a right, but not being discriminated against in employment or public accommodations should be considered, as you called it, a “mere preference.””

    The Volokh Conspiracy » The “Racist” Charge 2010

  • “Also morally repugnant is your view that the right of racists to discriminate in employment or public accommodations has a positive value.”

    The Volokh Conspiracy » The “Racist” Charge 2010

  • Also morally repugnant is your view that not having your car be keyed should be considered a right, but not being discriminated against in employment or public accommodations should be considered, as you called it, a “mere preference.”

    The Volokh Conspiracy » The “Racist” Charge 2010

  • Also morally repugnant is your view that the right of racists to discriminate in employment or public accommodations has a positive value.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » The “Racist” Charge 2010

  • What's repugnant is the attempt to use people's desire to help the sick as a Trojan horse for a eugenic agenda.

    A Scientific Worldview? 2005

  • What's repugnant is the attempt to use people's desire to help the sick as a Trojan horse for a eugenic agenda.

    A Scientific Worldview? 2005

Comments

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  • So descriptive! The ultimate expression of disgust. I think it's the whole "pug" moving into the "nant" part... very harsh-sounding.

    September 23, 2007

  • But pugs are cute! ;-)

    September 23, 2007