ambivalent

adjective

am-ˈbi-və-lənt How to pronounce ambivalent (audio)
Definition of ambivalentnext
as in unsure
having a mixture of opposing feelings she's somewhat ambivalent about the relationship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ambivalent The ensemble of actors is convincing in its naturalness, with the characterizations remaining consistently precise and ambivalent. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 Latinos were ambivalent about Proposition 187, the 1994 California ballot initiative that sought to deny immigrants and their families access to social services. — Eladio Bobadilla, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026 That song features a special guest, credited under the pseudonym Son-John Johnson, who sure sounds a lot like Geese’s Cameron Winter — another indie singer-songwriter who often seems ambivalent about being put under the microscope of fame. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026 People feel ambivalent about scrolling feeds, Marika Lüders, a professor of media and communication at the University of Oslo, wrote to me on this point. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ambivalent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambivalent
  1. unsure
  2. conflicted
  3. afraid
  4. hesitant
  5. uncertain
Adjective
  • The Salt Lake County clerk requests assistance to secure the polls, but the sheriff, unsure about jurisdiction, declines.
    — Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The equipment truck had left spring training in Tempe, Arizona, and was in Salt Lake City, unsure where to go, when Selig called traveling secretary Tommy Ferguson, who had held the same job with the Braves.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsure
Adjective
  • Sophie confessed to being a bit conflicted about tobacco, a plant that has killed untold humans, but is also showing promise in vaccine production and other pharmaceutical research.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The 2026 Canadian Travel and Tourism Outlook study from Environics Research shows that six in 10 Canadians are either actively avoiding travel to the US (46%) or would travel to the US, but feel conflicted (15%).
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of conflicted
Adjective
  • Once again, Slow Horses isn’t afraid to acknowledge its heroes are in a terrible situation and will pay the price for it.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Fond of travel but afraid to fly, Pan would take longish vacations in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, or Mexico, sometimes accompanied by his nieces.
    — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • Producers could use advanced technology to increase the recovery rate, but that requires major investments, which companies are hesitant to make in a country led by a government with a history of breaking contracts and current instability.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Former Hartford Association of Teachers President Carol Gale was not so hesitant.
    — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of hesitant
Adjective
  • Those assumptions can be quite uncertain when designing an entirely new study.
    — Mark Louie F. Ramos, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Specialists recommend seeking a second opinion from a neurologist who specializes in MS when a diagnosis is uncertain, particularly before starting medications that affect the immune system.
    — Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of uncertain

Browse Nearby Words

ambits
ambivalent
amble
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Cite this Entry

“Ambivalent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambivalent. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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