repugnan

Repugnan is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Spanish verb repugnar. It is used to express that something causes revulsion, disgust, or strong moral or aesthetic objection among people. For example, in a sentence like Esas prácticas repugnan a la gente, the subject expresses revulsion toward the practices.

Etymology and meaning: The verb repugnar comes from Latin repugnare, formed from re- (back, again) and pugnare (to fight). Over time, its sense shifted from “oppose” or “fight against” to “cause revulsion” or “be repugnant.” The related English word repugnant shares this lineage.

Usage notes: Repugnar is a transitive verb that typically takes a direct subject representing the thing causing revulsion and, often, an indirect experiencer introduced with a or a pronoun (as in A mí me repugnan esas ideas). The form repugnan can be contrasted with repugna (singular) or repugnan estas ideas (these ideas repulse). It is common in formal, journalistic, and literary Spanish when discussing ethics, violence, or social norms.

Related terms: The noun repugnancia means repugnance or revulsion; the adjective repugnante means repugnant. The infinitive is repugnar. Cognates exist in other Romance languages, such as Portuguese repugnar, Italian repugnare, and French repugner, all with similar meanings.

See also: repugnancia, repugnante, repugnar.