Repel for Dummies

Repel is a word that we use when we want to describe the act of pushing away, rejecting, or driving something or someone back. It's like when you're playing catch with a friend, and you throw the ball to them, but instead of catching it and throwing it back to you, they push it away with their hand or bat it away with a baseball bat. They are repelling the ball, pushing it away from them.

But repel can also be used in different contexts, like when we talk about bugs or pests. Have you ever noticed how some insects, like mosquitoes or flies, seem to stay away from certain things? They avoid landing on certain surfaces or going near certain smells. That's because these things repel them. It's like when you wear bug spray on a camping trip to keep mosquitoes away from you. The smell of the spray repels them, making them want to stay far away from you.

Another way we can use the word "repel" is when we talk about people's feelings or emotions. Sometimes, we can feel a strong aversion or dislike towards someone or something. It's as if their presence or behavior pushes us away and makes us want to keep our distance. For example, if there's a student in our class who is always mean to others and bullies them, their behavior may repel others from wanting to be around them. We feel repelled by their actions and want to stay away from them.

So, to sum it up, "repel" means pushing away, rejecting, or driving something or someone back. It can be used to describe physical actions like when we push a ball away or when something repels insects. It can also refer to our feelings or emotions when we feel a strong aversion or want to keep our distance from someone or something.