conflicted

adjective

con·​flict·​ed kən-ˈflik-təd 

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

this unhappy and conflicted modern woman

—John Updike

conflicted feelings

Synonyms

• ambivalent
• equivocal

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

The dad sees the move as a necessity due to the circumstances, but his younger daughter feels slighted A conflicted dad wasn't sure how to handle a situation involving his two daughters. —Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

As depicted in Oppenheimer, the eponymous scientist developed conflicted feelings about his role in the bombings. —Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024

That the film’s story shockingly mirrors a betrayal from Mühe’s own life (his ex-wife allegedly kept tabs on the actor for the Stasi) only makes his performance as the increasingly conflicted snooper more compelling. —Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024

That’s the obscure though conflicted message of combining Oppenheimer’s scientific risks with his moral uncertainty, then tying it to a vague and superficial rehash of the mid-century Red Scare. —Armond White, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024

There’s a conflicted visual style that’s half outside voyeur trying to make sense of the enigma that is John Sugar, and half Sugar’s own perspective on Hollywood. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024

Every performance in Cape Fear is fantastic, but Juliette Lewis rises above the rest as the protagonist’s conflicted teenage daughter. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024

Beyond her dimples, ringlets, and fits of giggles is a conflicted teenager. —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2024

Fans of Schitt's Creek will love seeing Noah Reid in his cowboy getup, and all Yellowstone fans can appreciate a brooding Josh Brolin playing a conflicted rancher trying to keep his family safe. —Emily Blackwood, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of conflict entry 2

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

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