ambivalent

[ am-biv-uh-luh nt ]

/ æmˈbɪv ə lənt /

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adjective

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 him or her in opposite directions.

Nearby words

Origin of ambivalent

back formation from ambivalence

Related formsam·biv·a·lent·ly, adverb

Can be confusedambiguous ambivalent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ambivalent

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|DAILY BEAST
True to form, Palmer is ambivalent about Weaver, with whom he does commercials and TV commentary.
Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up|Tom Boswell|September 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On some level, Brecht meant for Mother Courage to be an ambivalent figure—he called her “a great living contradiction.”
Brecht's Mercenary Mother Courage Turns 75|Katie Baker|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many people are ambivalent about it, including many ardent pro-choice activists.
Ten Reasons Women Are Losing While Gays Keep Winning|Jay Michaelson|July 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Korda argues convincingly that Lee was ambivalent about slavery.
How I Learned to Hate Robert E. Lee|Christopher Dickey|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Let us suppose the subject has ambivalent feelings toward his father.
A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis|Melvin Powers
Thus we find again that taboo has grown out of the soil of an ambivalent emotional attitude.
Totem and Taboo|Sigmund Freud
Let us recall that in our earlier discussion we took note of the ambivalent character of love.
Herein is Love|Reuel L. Howe
With the decline of this ambivalence the taboo, as the compromise symptom of the ambivalent conflict, also slowly disappeared.
Totem and Taboo|Sigmund Freud