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Repugnance

[rɪˈpʌɡnəns] · rih-PUG-nuns · English · noun
negativeintensity: mediumdisgust

Strong, principled distaste.

Definition

Strong, principled distaste — aversion to something felt to be offensive or incompatible with one's values.

Connotation & usage

The most intellectual, moral, and formal member: its core image is fighting back / resisting, framing the object as something one's conscience or standards push against (“moral repugnance,” “repugnant to the Constitution”). You rarely feel repugnance at a smell; you feel it at an idea or act. Cooler and more considered than the visceral revulsion; centered on incompatibility-with-principle rather than gut nausea. A touch less emotionally hot than abhorrence.

Related words

Etymology

Early 15c., originally “contradiction, incompatibility, resistance,” from Latin repugnantia “incompatibility,” from repugnare “to fight back, be incompatible” (re- “back” + pugnare “to fight”). The literal root is “to fight against.”

How it has changed

A shift from logic to emotion: from “contradiction, incompatibility” (early 15c.) to “strong dislike, aversion” (1640s). The older “contradiction” sense survives (“repugnant to” still carries the flavor of clashing with principles). No reliable recent-generation shift.

Sources

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From The Lexicon of Feeling — a carefully sourced dictionary & thesaurus of emotions across 60 languages. Definitions are verified against the cited sources; emotion-family, valence, and intensity tags are editorial. This is a learning tool for emotional vocabulary, not therapy or a substitute for professional care. © 2026 The Lexicon of Feeling.