be repellent

[/bɪ rɪˈpelənt/]
verb phrase
ser repugnante; ser repelente
1. to cause someone to feel disgust or aversion; to be offensive or disgusting
His behavior was so rude that it would be repellent to most people.
Seu comportamento era tão rude que seria repugnante para a maioria das pessoas.
2. to drive back or keep away; to resist or ward off
The substance has properties that be repellent to insects.
A substância tem propriedades que são repelentes aos insetos.
3. to provoke strong dislike or opposition
Such violent rhetoric would be repellent to reasonable voters.
Tal retórica violenta seria repugnante para eleitores razoáveis.
In Brazilian Portuguese, 'repugnante' is widely used in formal written communication and academic contexts, while 'nojento' is more colloquial. In American English, this phrase is common in describing both literal repulsion (insects, pests) and figurative disgust (behavior, attitudes). The term gained more prominence in social discourse around politics and ethics.
NYC Slang
be gross; be nasty; be wack
Synonyms / Sinônimos
be disgustingbe offensivebe abhorrentbe revoltingbe nauseatingrepelbe distasteful
Antonyms / Antônimos
be attractivebe appealingbe invitingbe charmingbe delightful

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ser repugnante; ser repelente
most common usage in formal and informal contexts
Rio de Janeiro
ser nojento; ser repugnante
colloquial use of 'nojento' (disgusting) is common
São Paulo
ser repelente; ser ofensivo
formal usage preferred in business contexts
Portugal
ser repugnante; ser repelente
similar usage to Brazilian Portuguese; 'repelente' used for insects

Related Words

repulsionrepulsivedisgustaversionoffensiveabhorrentrepelrepellent

Related Idioms & Phrases

turn someone's stomach
make someone's skin crawl
be a turn-off
rub someone the wrong way
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