ambivalent
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.
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.
Origin of ambivalent
1Other words from ambivalent
- am·biv·a·lent·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with ambivalent
- ambiguous, ambivalent
Words Nearby ambivalent
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use ambivalent in a sentence
Sometimes she sees clients who are ambivalent about their kink identities.
Coming Out Kinky to Your Doctor, in Black and Blue | Heather Boerner | October 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhat makes Noah mildly ambivalent, yet cautiously optimistic?
The Chicago Bulls’ Joakim Noah Sounds Off on Weed, the Weather, and Winning | Bill Schulz | October 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTrue to form, Palmer is ambivalent about Weaver, with whom he does commercials and TV commentary.
Today, many Californians feel ambivalent about illegal immigration.
Careful What You Wish For: Here’s What California Would Look Like Without Illegal Immigrants | Ruben Navarrette Jr. | September 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOn some level, Brecht meant for Mother Courage to be an ambivalent figure—he called her “a great living contradiction.”
Let us recall that in our earlier discussion we took note of the ambivalent character of love.
Herein is Love | Reuel L. HoweBut I have to ask if the feelings and instincts are really ambivalent?
Collected Papers on Analytical Psychology | C. G. JungLet us suppose the subject has ambivalent feelings toward his father.
A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis | Melvin PowersI mean that the relation is really ambivalent, that is, it is composed of conflicting feelings of tenderness and hostility.
Totem and Taboo | Sigmund FreudThus we find again that taboo has grown out of the soil of an ambivalent emotional attitude.
Totem and Taboo | Sigmund Freud
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