Definition
To be ambivalent is to feel two ways at once — drawn and repelled, pleased and uneasy, all about the same thing. The word comes from ambi-, 'both', and the Latin valentia, 'strength': both pulls have force, so the feeling cannot settle. It describes a person's divided heart, not an unclear message, which is why it should not be confused with ambiguous. An ambivalent attitude does not waver because it lacks information; it wavers because genuine feelings fluctuate between yes and no.
Examples
- She felt deeply ambivalent about the promotion: proud of the title, daunted by the hours.
- Public opinion on the reform is ambivalent, supportive in theory and anxious in practice.
- He gave an ambivalent shrug, unable to say whether he really wanted to go.
Collocations
ambivalent about·deeply ambivalent·an ambivalent attitude·remain ambivalent
Synonyms
conflicted·torn·undecided·uncertain·equivocal
Antonyms
certain·decisive·unequivocal
Word family
ambivalence (noun)·ambivalently (adverb)
In TOEFL & IELTS
A precise word for IELTS Speaking and Writing when your view is genuinely mixed: 'I'm ambivalent about…' signals nuance examiners reward. TOEFL reading uses it for characters' and authors' divided attitudes. The classic trap is confusing 'ambivalent' (mixed feelings in a person) with 'ambiguous' (more than one meaning in a thing) — keep them distinct. The noun is 'ambivalence'.