love-hate relationship

[ luhv-heyt ri-ley-shuhn-ship ]

noun

1. a state of ambivalence in which one feels both love and hate for someone or something:

   Transylvania has something of a love-hate relationship with Dracula tourism.

   The love-hate relationship between directors and actors is entertainingly dissected in this kiss-and-tell memoir from the directing frontlines.

Word History and Origins

Origin of love-hate relationship¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

In the run-up to Tuesday, the national media groaned with opinion columns expressing our love-hate relationship with voting.

From The Daily Beast

So I kind of had a love/hate relationship with the character for a while.

From The Daily Beast

My favorite is kickboxing: a love-hate relationship because it pushes me to my absolute limits.

From The Daily Beast

The Lena Dunham–created comedy elicited a love-hate relationship with premium cable audiences.

From The Daily Beast

We have a love-hate relationship with talent in American society.

From The Daily Beast

The interaction between the Illyrians and the Slavs was a love-hate relationship and has remained so ever since.

From Project Gutenberg