as in unsure
having a mixture of opposing feelings
she's somewhat ambivalent about the relationship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ambivalent
But these unknown early writings suggest that he may be better understood as an immigrant writer—one of the gifted, ambivalent outsiders who remade American literature after World War II—whose most astonishing achievement was the all-American voice of On the Road and the books that came after.
—
Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
The book’s ambivalent nostalgia has not kept it from succeeding prodigiously.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026
Brigid, a Catholic, is ambivalent about plural marriage.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
Ironically, Chavez himself appeared ambivalent about such public tributes.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ambivalent
Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
The book’s ambivalent nostalgia has not kept it from succeeding prodigiously.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026
Brigid, a Catholic, is ambivalent about plural marriage.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
Ironically, Chavez himself appeared ambivalent about such public tributes.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ambivalent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambivalent
Adjective
-
When workers are unsure whether the technology is meant to augment them or replace them, adoption slows, experimentation stops, and the conditions under which AI actually returns value disappear.—
Julie Averill,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
The vets also took X-rays, but since wood is hard to see on an X-ray, the professionals were still unsure how far the stick had impaled Sweets.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Young Man had never been more confused, conflicted, baffled.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
His lawsuit against the IRS had been challenged by Democratic lawmakers, former IRS and Justice Department officials and outside progressive organizations as a blatantly unlawful move by a deeply conflicted president.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
That said, Richie isn’t afraid to switch things up.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
19 May 2026
-
Zvyagintsev is not afraid of silence.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
That this surprisingly moving scene is then revealed to be merely imaginary is another example of the hesitant screenplay’s frustrating tendency not to follow through on the most obviously dramatic consequences of its arable premise.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
In The Legacy, Dean and Allie are still together, but Allie is hesitant to take the next steps in getting engaged.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Hulse felt both hopeful and uncertain.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
What was once a slow and uncertain flow of prospective officers has evolved into a steady stream of qualified candidates, producing record-sized recruit classes.—
Joy Lepola-Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ambivalent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambivalent. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
