ambivalent

CEFRC2

/æmˈbɪv.ə.lənt/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Having mixed or uncertain feelings about someone or something.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Alternately being or having one opinion or feeling, and then the opposite.

Examples

  • I'm ambivalent about the itinerary for our overseas trip which my brother has drawn up.

  • Professional language producers can be expected to be ambivalent about clichés.

At a glance

Sits at C2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
3
Parts of speech
1
Citations
2
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meaning

  1. Simultaneously experiencing or expressing opposing or contradictory feelings, beliefs, motivations, or meanings.

More examples

In context

  • His feelings toward his parents are ambivalent.

  • In modern burlesque [...] sexual and erotic stimuli are often present in concealed and ambivalent doubles entendres.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

She was blank about the job offer, unsure if she should accept it.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

Back-formation from ambivalence, from German Ambivalenz, from Latin ambi- (“in two ways”) + valeō (“be strong”); equivalent to ambi- + -valent. Compare ambivert.