Do you sometimes find yourself searching for a word that captures the feelings of intense revulsion and irritation that you experience when hearing some politician speak or when you switch off a TV programme in disgust? Then "rebarbative" may be just the word that you want.

“Rebarbative” is defined in American and British dictionaries as repellent, irritating, objectionable. The word comes from the French "rébarbatif" which, in turn, derives from the old French "rebarber" which meant to repel (an enemy), in other words to withstand the enemy face to face.

If you thought that the word must have something to do with the everyday word “barber,” then you would be right. The old French word is based on the word for beard, "barbe": so repelling the enemy face-to-face literally meant "beard to beard".

More Info: www.merriam-webster.com