ambivalent
/æmˈbɪv.ə.lənt/
ambivalent means simultaneously experiencing or expressing opposing or contradictory feelings, beliefs, motivations, or meanings. It carries an Arena rating of 1528, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, ambivalent ranks #219 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #860 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #4,427 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #5,373 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words.
ambivalent is pronounced /æmˈbɪv.ə.lənt/.
Why “ambivalent” is a great word
Simultaneously experiencing or expressing opposing or contradictory feelings, beliefs, or motivations. From Latin ambi- ("both, on both sides") + valent-, from valere ("to be strong, be worth"), via German Ambivalenz; coined in the early 20th century by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler. Unlike "indifferent," which implies a bland lack of feeling, or "equivocal," which describes unclear language, ambivalence denotes the profound and active turmoil of being pulled in two directions at once. It is the lover who both yearns for and dreads the phone's ring, the traveler standing motionless at the fork, and the heart that both reaches out and draws back—the human condition of holding two truths that are equally valid and utterly irreconcilable.
Etymology
Back-formation from ambivalence, from German Ambivalenz, from Latin ambi- (“in two ways”) + valeō (“be strong”); equivalent to ambi- + -valent. Compare ambivert.
adj
- Simultaneously experiencing or expressing opposing or contradictory feelings, beliefs, motivations, or meanings.e.g.“In modern burlesque [...] sexual and erotic stimuli are often present in concealed and ambivalent doubles entendres.” — 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 77:
- Alternately being or having one opinion or feeling, and then the opposite.e.g.“His feelings toward his parents are ambivalent.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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