conflicted

adjective

con·​flict·​ed kən-ˈflik-təd 

: experiencing or marked by ambivalence or a conflict especially of emotions

conflicted feelings

… these people are … conflicted in their values and beliefs.

—Norman Ornstein

Synonyms of conflicted

• unsure
• ambivalent
• afraid
• hesitant
• uncertain

Examples of conflicted in a Sentence

She was still conflicted about her ex-husband's remarriage.

I'm conflicted about the prospect of our only child going away to college.

Recent Examples on the Web

Its strength lies in the creation of characters who, although sometimes forced to function stiffly as rhetorical mouthpieces, seem genuinely conflicted and caught off guard by the brutal interventions of history. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026

The stories in this collection range from a novella from her post-apocalyptic Sixth World series to a science fiction piece about a conflicted student attending university on a space station. —Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 20 Mar. 2026

California voters remain conflicted on the state’s regulation of the oil industry, according to an August survey by the Public Policy Institute of California. —Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026

Although defined by his anti-war activism, McDonald would acknowledge conflicted feelings about Vietnam. —Hillel Italie, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of conflict entry 2

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for conflicted

• addicted
• afflicted
• constricted
• convicted
• depicted
• evicted
• inflicted
• predicted
• restricted
• contradicted
• interdicted
• unrestricted

Medical Definition

conflicted

adjective

con·​flict·​ed kən-ˈflik-təd 

: having or experiencing emotional conflict

working women were much more conflicted about working than full-time mothers were about staying home

—People