ambivalent

[ am-biv-uh-luhnt ]
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adjective
  1. 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.

  2. 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

1
Back formation from ambivalence

Other words from ambivalent

  • am·biv·a·lent·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with ambivalent

Words Nearby ambivalent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

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