adj
ambivalent
am-BIHV-uh-luhnt
adj
1
Having mixed or contradictory feelings about someone or something.
"He felt ambivalent about the promotion — excited but also anxious about the extra hours."
"She's ambivalent about moving abroad; part of her wants to go, part doesn't."
How to Use Ambivalent
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTorn between two opposite feelings or opinions about the same thing.
Common mistake
Ambivalent doesn't mean "indifferent" or "don't care" — it means feeling two conflicting things at once.
Common pairings
ambivalent about
ambivalent feelings
deeply ambivalent
Word Forms
more ambivalent comparative, most ambivalent superlative
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He felt _____ about the promotion — excited but also anxious about the extra hours.
Etymology
A back-formation from "ambivalence", from German Ambivalenz, built from Latin ambi- ("both ways") plus valere ("to be strong").