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Repulse vs Compel - What's the difference?

repulse | compel |

As verbs the difference between repulse and compel

is that repulse is to repel or drive back while compel is (transitive|archaic|literally) to drive together, round up.

As a noun repulse

is the act of repulsing or the state of being repulsed.

repulse

English

Verb

  • to repel or drive back
  • to repulse''' an assault; to '''repulse the enemy
  • to reject or rebuff
  • to repulse a suitor
  • to cause revulsion
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • the act of repulsing or the state of being repulsed
  • refusal, rejection or repulsion
  • Anagrams

    * ----

    compel

    English

    Verb

  • (transitive, archaic, literally) To drive together, round up (rfex)
  • To overpower; to subdue.
  • * 1917 , , King Coal , ch. 16,
  • She had one of those perfect faces, which irresistibly compel the soul of a man.
  • To force, constrain or coerce.
  • Logic compels''' the wise, while fools feel '''compelled by emotions.
  • * 1600 , , Julius Caesar , act 5, sc. 1,
  • Against my will, / As Pompey was, am I compell’d to set / Upon one battle all our liberties.
  • * Hallam
  • Wolsey compelled the people to pay up the whole subsidy at once.
  • To exact, extort, (make) produce by force.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Commissions, which compel from each / The sixth part of his substance.
  • * 1912 , , Sky Island , ch. 14,
  • The Queen has nothing but the power to execute the laws, to adjust grievances and to compel order.
  • (obsolete) To force to yield; to overpower; to subjugate.
  • * Dryden
  • Easy sleep their weary limbs compelled .
  • * Tennyson
  • I compel all creatures to my will.
  • (obsolete) To gather or unite in a crowd or company.
  • * Dryden
  • in one troop compelled
  • (obsolete) To call forth; to summon.
  • * Spenser
  • She had this knight from far compelled .
    (Chapman)

    Derived terms

    * compellable * compeller * compelling * compellation * compel testimony

    References

    * * * Random House Webster’s Unabridged Electronic Dictionary , 1987-1996. English control verbs English transitive verbs