ambivalence
am-BIV-uh-luns · noun
The state of having mixed or conflicting feelings about something.
Memory connection
Picture “a veil and lens”
A shopper holds a mysterious veil in one hand and a clear lens in the other, attracted to both and unable to choose.
The sound cue helps you reach the scene; the action in the scene carries you from the scene to the definition.
Use it accurately
Meaning in context
She felt ambivalence about the promotion because it offered influence but required constant travel.
Public ambivalence toward the project appeared in surveys that showed both hope and distrust.
Ambivalence means simultaneous conflicting feelings, not the absence of feeling. It commonly appears as ambivalence about or toward something.
Common patterns
- feel ambivalence
- ambivalence about
- deep ambivalence
Quick check
Can you retrieve the meaning?
Which statement shows ambivalence?
Choose an answer, then explain it in your own words.