ambivalent
Americanadjective
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having mixed feelings about someone or something; being unable to choose between two (usually opposing) courses of action.
The whole family was ambivalent about the move to the suburbs.
She is regarded as a morally ambivalent character in the play.
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Psychology. of or relating to the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing that individual in opposite directions.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ambivalent
Back formation from ambivalence
Explanation
If you can't decide how you feel about something, declare yourself ambivalent about it. Ambivalent means "having mixed feelings about something." A Swiss psychologist named Eugen Bleuler coined the German word Ambivalenz in the early twentieth century, and it was soon imported into English. Bleuler combined the Latin prefix ambi-, meaning "both," with valentia, "strength." So etymologically speaking, if you're ambivalent you're being pulled by two equally strong things — but in practice, ambivalence often arises from caring very little either way. You might feel ambivalent about your lunch options if you have to choose between a murky stew and flavorless tofu.
Vocabulary lists containing ambivalent
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Grade 11, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By the same token, I think a deep love of country can coexist with ambivalent feelings about how the national team performs on the field.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
A promising new cancer drug helped reduce the risk of death by 34% in patients with the most common form of lung cancer, but investors appeared to be ambivalent to the data.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
The other students might not be as truculent as Elham, but they are just as ambivalent about the necessity of learning English.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
US President Donald Trump's position however appears more ambivalent.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
“I suppose I have an ambivalent attitude toward it” Major Sanderson sprang up with joy when he heard the words “ambivalent attitude.”
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
