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Repulse vs Recoil - What's the difference?

repulse | recoil |

As verbs the difference between repulse and recoil

is that repulse is to repel or drive back while recoil is .

As nouns the difference between repulse and recoil

is that repulse is the act of repulsing or the state of being repulsed while recoil is a starting or falling back; a rebound; a shrinking.

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

    • Related terms

    * repel * repellent * repulsion * repulsive

    External links

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    Anagrams

    * ----

    recoil

    English

    (wikipedia recoil)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A starting or falling back; a rebound; a shrinking.
    • the recoil of nature, or of the blood
  • The state or condition of having recoiled.
  • * F. W. Robertson
    • The recoil from formalism is skepticism.
  • (firearms) The amount of energy transmitted back to the shooter from a firearm which has fired. Recoil is a function of the weight of the weapon, the weight of the projectile, and the speed at which it leaves the muzzle.

    • Verb

  • * 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , V.11:
    • that rude rout
  • (obsolete) To retire, withdraw.
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , I.x:
    • Ye both forwearied be: therefore a whyle / Iread you rest, and to your bowres recoyle .
  • * Milton
    • Evil on itself shall back recoil .
  • * De Quincey
    • The solemnity of her demeanor made it impossible that we should recoil into our ordinary spirits.
  • To pull back, especially in disgust, horror or astonishment.
    • He recoiled in disgust when he saw the mess.
    (Shakespeare)

    Derived terms

    * recoil on

    Anagrams

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