Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea.
- noun Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun mixed feelings or emotions; uncertainty or vacillation in making a choice.
- noun (Psychol.) the simultaneous existence within a person of both positive and negative feelings toward another person or action, or toward an object (as of attraction and revulsion), resulting in internal conflict.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The coexistence of opposing attitudes or
feelings (such aslove andhate ) towards a person, object or idea. - noun A state of
uncertainty orindecisiveness .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun mixed feelings or emotions
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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London was both fascinated and repulsed by what he saw in New York City and his ambivalence is apparent throughout the essay.
Telic Action and Collective Stupidity: A Rare Jack London Essay 2010
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Just for the sake of clarity, my ambivalence is about going from 2 to 3.
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But in "The Monster Within," Barbara Almond tells us that such maternal ambivalence is common in every culture.
"The Monster Within: The Hidden Side of Motherhood," by Barbara Almond Carolyn See 2010
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After a few years embroiled in ambivalence, empathy, concern and more, the changes medication, consoling and more, can have on this person “at times” seemingly leaves them like an empty vessel where life, as we know it, has just been sucked out of them, and yes, they are indeed slower.
Page 2 2009
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Many Americans these days are buying their first gold shares — but with a certain ambivalence, all too aware that the metal 's price can move suddenly.
An Age of Creative Destruction Amity Shlaes 2010
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Almond calms the reader, suggesting that we can only do our best and trust that our ambivalence is more than compensated for by our devotion and love.
"The Monster Within: The Hidden Side of Motherhood," by Barbara Almond Carolyn See 2010
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One of the most widely studied aspects of ambivalence is how it affects thinking.
Why So Many People Can't Make Decisions Shirley S. Wang 2010
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But in "The Monster Within," Barbara Almond tells us that such maternal ambivalence is common in every culture.
"The Monster Within: The Hidden Side of Motherhood," by Barbara Almond Carolyn See 2010
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"A certain degree of ambivalence is a sign of maturity," he says.
Why So Many People Can't Make Decisions Shirley S. Wang 2010
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Almond calms the reader, suggesting that we can only do our best and trust that our ambivalence is more than compensated for by our devotion and love.
"The Monster Within: The Hidden Side of Motherhood," by Barbara Almond Carolyn See 2010
Louises commented on the word ambivalence
The beauty of chronic ambivalence is that even tiny shifts of detail have the power to tip the scales. From "The Last Werewolf" by Glen Duncan.
March 3, 2012
Louises commented on the word ambivalence
There's the ghost of ambivalence like a spirit that can't cross over. It's the price of double agency. From "The Last Werewolf" by Glen Duncan.
March 21, 2012