CONFLICTED Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

conflicted 1 of 2

adjective

kən-ˈflik-təd

Definition of conflicted

as in unsure

having a mixture of opposing feelings I'm conflicted about the prospect of our only child going away to college

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

conflicted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of conflict

as in clashed

to be out of harmony or agreement usually noticeably his statement conflicts with the facts, as given in the police report

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 conflicted

Adjective

Liz — as Nathan semi-affectionately calls her — is an individual who seemingly has a conflicted relationship with what’s real and what’s possible, which is what landed her in prison for fraud. — Jade Tran, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026 For his doc, Kondabolu, a comedy writer and standup comedian, spoke to a number of prominent South Asian entertainers, including Aziz Ansari, Aasif Mandvi and Hasan Minhaj about their conflicted feelings about Apu. — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026

Verb

After discovering the system could capture snippets of private conversations, Blum felt conflicted. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026 Latif is conflicted by his double life, bewildered by his doubling of parental responsibilities, constantly trying to think two moves ahead yet always ending up three steps behind. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conflicted

Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflicted

Adjective

Meanwhile, Corbett is unsure about the future of her space inside the building.

— CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
Trump’s immigration crackdown has put the American dream on hold for aspiring immigrants, who remain unsure whether the election will bring meaningful policy changes.

— Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of unsure

Verb

Police detained three people after some demonstrators clashed with officers outside the court complex.

— Tyler Speicher, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Stevens supported El-Sayed after the primary, but the two have clashed publicly in the days ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.

— Theodoric Meyer, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of clashed

Adjective

But while trust in the Democrats on specific issues has increased, AAPI adults are ambivalent about the party as a whole.

— Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
When film and television try to capture the messy morality of these would-be titans, the results are predictably ambivalent.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambivalent

Verb

Their helmets collided after the play was over, and Gordon seemingly took that as a challenge.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 1 Nov. 2026
Three people were killed after two helicopters collided midair near an airport in Oregon on Thursday afternoon, October 29, prompting an investigation by federal aviation authorities.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of collided

Adjective

Trump notched some significant wins, like the end of the old asylum system and a suite of progressive tax cuts, which Democrats are afraid to run against.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026
On November 1, King Charles was left umbrella-less in a torrential downpour in Antigua and Barbuda—and wasn’t afraid to show his frustration.

— Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of afraid

Adjective

For the second straight week, the usually capable running quarterback was hesitant to use his legs, going for just 7 yards on two carries.

— David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
On that play, Mahomes dislocated his kneecap — and the Chiefs have been hesitant to run that play ever since.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of hesitant

Adjective

However, while return on investment for artificial intelligence remains uncertain, rising depreciation expenses from new data center buildouts present an additional drag on corporate profitability.

— , CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
An uncertain state holiday In early 2025, Assemblymembers Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, and Darshana Patel, D-San Diego, introduced AB 268, also known as the Diwali Holiday Act.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of uncertain

Browse Nearby Words

conflict

conflicted

conflicting

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Conflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflicted. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of conflicted

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

valorous

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes