THE WORDCRAFT DEFINITION DICTIONARY
ambivalent
adjective
Having mixed or conflicting feelings about something.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
A USEFUL DISTINCTION
Usage note
Ambivalent describes conflicting feelings. Ambiguous describes an unclear or multiply interpretable meaning.
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Examples in context
She felt ambivalent about leaving a familiar job for an exciting opportunity.
Noor was ambivalent about opening the room at all, welcoming the extra space but worrying about noise.
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Related meanings
Related words can differ in tone and context; they are not always interchangeable.
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RELATED FORMS, ONE FEATURED ENTRY
The ambivalent family
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ambivalencenoun
The coexistence of conflicting feelings or attitudes toward something.
Her ambivalence about the promotion reflected both excitement and concern.
He expressed ambivalence about leaving the familiar neighborhood.
About this entry
This entry is part of the vocabulary collection supplied by GlobalRPh. Definitions are concise study meanings. Examples combine original teaching sentences with selected passages adapted from the supplied study notes; their source is labeled beside each example. A word may have additional specialized or historical senses.
Adapted from supplied vocabulary notes. Example written for WordCraft.
Source study sections: 4.
Ambivalent describes conflicting feelings. Ambiguous describes an unclear or multiply interpretable meaning.
Dictionary scope and sources