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Ambivalent: meaning, example and synonyms

Ambivalentadj. Having mixed or contradictory feelings about something.

Flashcard for Ambivalent (adjective): having mixed or contradictory feelings about something. Example: Many residents were ambivalent about the new stadium, welcoming the jobs it promised while dreading the traffic it would bring. Synonyms: conflicted, torn, uncertain, equivocal. Antonyms: decided, certain, resolute, wholehearted. Memory tip: Ambi = both: feeling pulled both ways at once. Illustration: a hiker standing at a fork in a forest path, hand on chin, looking back and forth between a sunny trail and a shaded one.

Example

Many residents were ambivalent about the new stadium, welcoming the jobs it promised while dreading the traffic it would bring.

Part of speech
adjective
Synonyms
conflicted, torn, uncertain, equivocal
Antonyms
decided, certain, resolute, wholehearted
Memory tip
Ambi = both: feeling pulled both ways at once.

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Check yourself: Ambivalent in context

Pick the word that best completes each text.

Question 1

Many residents felt ______ about the proposed highway, welcoming shorter commutes but fearing the noise it would bring.

Question 2

The novelist remained ______ about her early fame; she enjoyed her readers' attention yet resented how it distracted her from writing.

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