ambivalent

Definitions

ambi- (both) + val (strength) + -ent (adj.) = 'having strong pulls in both directions.' You feel ambivalent when you genuinely want and don't want the same thing at once — both forces are real, so you're torn.

Why It Means This

Coined by a Swiss psychiatrist around 1910, ambivalent isn't lukewarm indifference — it's the opposite. The val root signals strength: ambivalence is the tension of two powerful, opposite feelings held at the same time. That's why 'I'm ambivalent' means 'I'm pulled hard both ways,' not 'I don't care.'

Common Collocations

• 1.ambivalent about对……感到矛盾
• 2.ambivalent attitude矛盾的态度
• 3.feel ambivalent感到犹疑
• 4.deeply ambivalent深感矛盾

Example Sentences

• 1.

  She felt ambivalent about leaving her hometown for a new job.

• 2.

  His ambivalent reply left us unsure whether he'd come.

Easily Confused

ambivalent vs. indifferent — A common trap. indifferent means you don't care either way (no feeling). ambivalent means you have strong feelings on both sides at once (too much feeling). If a choice torments you, you're ambivalent, not indifferent.