conflicting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of conflicting
Explanation
Feeling at odds? In total disagreement? Then you're probably dealing with something conflicting. The adjective conflicting is rooted in the word conflict for a reason: When things are conflicting they're in conflict, disagreeing or contradicting each other. Conflicting reports or theories go against each other. Sometimes people get conflicting emotions when they're torn over a really hard decision. And conflicting personalities? They're completely incompatible.
Vocabulary lists containing conflicting
Dear Martin
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Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (1801)
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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.
How do the conflicting needs of different investors get handled?
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
Crude futures settled lower in an up-and-down session with conflicting expectations for an agreement to end the U.S.-Iran stalemate.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Oil prices jumped while stock markets mostly retreated and the dollar firmed Thursday as hopes of a Middle East peace accord faded on conflicting headlines on the state of talks.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
It’s so sad and his conflict was that human beings with conflicting directives confuse him.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
There weren’t too many animals on the planet that were capable of eating a human and I had conflicting thoughts about this.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
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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.