repugnar

to disgust

verb rreh-poog-NAHR Rare

Origin: From Latin repugnare (to fight back, resist), later 'to be contrary to'.

Also means

to be repugnant to

Usage Note

Repugnar frequently works like gustar in a grammatical 'reverse' construction: me repugna la violencia means 'violence disgusts me', with the subject being the disgusting thing. It is stronger than molestar or disgustar and implies genuine revulsion. In formal writing it can mean simply 'to be contrary to' (repugna a la razón), though this use is rarer in everyday speech.

Examples

"Me repugna esa actitud."

Natural Translation

That attitude disgusts me.

Literal Translation

To-me repugna that attitude.

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