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
Norman OrnsteinExamples 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
But Fennell is too fixated on the surface dazzle to undercut the mood with deeper melancholy or conflicted sexuality.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
As the conflicted Wahida, Abbas takes the film’s stoic center, shading the character in such a way that her dilemma becomes the audience’s main focus.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
To assess whether social media is generally harmful to kids and teens, lawyers will have to argue about the nitty-gritty of a complicated and conflicted scientific field.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
As millions of Americans gather around what should be a period of universal connection — Super Bowl week and the simultaneous opening of the Winter Olympics — the backdrop could not be more conflicted.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conflicted
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Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
As the conflicted Wahida, Abbas takes the film’s stoic center, shading the character in such a way that her dilemma becomes the audience’s main focus.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
To assess whether social media is generally harmful to kids and teens, lawyers will have to argue about the nitty-gritty of a complicated and conflicted scientific field.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
As millions of Americans gather around what should be a period of universal connection — Super Bowl week and the simultaneous opening of the Winter Olympics — the backdrop could not be more conflicted.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conflicted
Cite this Entry
“Conflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conflicted. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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