revulsion
UK: rɪˈvʌlʃən | US: rɪˈvʌlʃən
n. 1. A sudden, intense feeling of disgust or horror.
n. 2. The act of drawing something back or away; withdrawal (archaic).
revulsion = re<back> + vuls<pull> + ion<noun suffix>
- re: Latin prefix meaning "back" or "again."
- vuls: From Latin vulsus, past participle of vellere ("to pull, tear").
- ion: Noun-forming suffix indicating an action or state.
Etymology Origin:
The word revulsion originates from Latin revulsio ("a tearing back"), derived from revellere ("to pull away violently"). It initially described physical withdrawal (e.g., medical bloodletting) but evolved metaphorically to denote emotional recoil, reflecting the visceral logic of "pulling away" from something repulsive.
She felt a sudden revulsion at the sight of the decaying food.
His cruel remarks filled me with revulsion.
The novel explores the protagonist’s revulsion toward societal hypocrisy.
In medieval medicine, revulsion was a technique to divert disease.
A wave of revulsion swept through the crowd as the details were revealed.