ambivalent
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Back-formation from ambivalence, from German Ambivalenz, from Latin ambi- (“in two ways”) + valeō (“be strong”); equivalent to ambi- + -valent.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA(key): /æmˈbɪv.ə.lənt/
Audio (Southern England) (file) Audio (US) (file) Audio (AU) (file)
Adjective[edit]
ambivalent (comparative more ambivalent, superlative most ambivalent)
- Simultaneously experiencing or expressing opposing or contradictory feelings, beliefs, or motivations.
- Alternately having one opinion or feeling, and then the opposite.
- His feelings toward his parents are ambivalent.
Usage notes[edit]
Ambivalent is commonly used to denote having conflicting emotions instead of lacking emotions. More appropriate alternatives for a lack of emotion would be indifferent and apathetic.
Synonyms[edit]
- (simultaneously experiencing or expressing opposing feelings): conflicted, uncertain, undecided, unresolved
- (alternately feeling opposing feelings): vacillating, fluctuating, wavering
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
Dutch[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from German ambivalent.
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
ambivalent (comparative ambivalenter, superlative ambivalentst)
- ambivalent (simultaneously experiencing conflicting drives) [from early 20th c.]
Inflection[edit]
| Inflection of ambivalent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| uninflected | ambivalent | |||
| inflected | ambivalente | |||
| comparative | ambivalenter | |||
| positive | comparative | superlative | ||
| predicative/adverbial | ambivalent | ambivalenter | het ambivalentst het ambivalentste | |
| indefinite | m./f. sing. | ambivalente | ambivalentere | ambivalentste |
| n. sing. | ambivalent | ambivalenter | ambivalentste | |
| plural | ambivalente | ambivalentere | ambivalentste | |
| definite | ambivalente | ambivalentere | ambivalentste | |
| partitive | ambivalents | ambivalenters | — | |
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
- → Indonesian: ambivalen
French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from German ambivalent, from Latin ambi- + Latin valentem, the latter from the verb valeō.
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
ambivalent (feminine ambivalente, masculine plural ambivalents, feminine plural ambivalentes)
Further reading[edit]
- “ambivalent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
German[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From ambi-, ambo and valens (inflected valent-), valeo.
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
ambivalent (strong nominative masculine singular ambivalenter, comparative ambivalenter, superlative am ambivalentesten)
- ambivalent
- Seine Gefühle ihr gegenüber sind ambivalent, sowohl positiv als auch negativ.
- His feelings to her are ambivalent, positive as well as negative.
Declension[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “ambivalent” in Duden online
- “ambivalent” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
Romanian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from French ambivalent.
Adjective[edit]
ambivalent m or n (feminine singular ambivalentă, masculine plural ambivalenți, feminine and neuter plural ambivalente)
Declension[edit]
| singular | plural | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
| nominative/ accusative |
indefinite | ambivalent | ambivalentă | ambivalenți | ambivalente | ||
| definite | ambivalentul | ambivalenta | ambivalenții | ambivalentele | |||
| genitive/ dative |
indefinite | ambivalent | ambivalente | ambivalenți | ambivalente | ||
| definite | ambivalentului | ambivalentei | ambivalenților | ambivalentelor | |||
Swedish[edit]
Adjective[edit]
ambivalent (not comparable)
Usage notes[edit]
Often implies calm ambivalence, like in English – not caring much one way or the other due to mixed feelings. Kluven (“torn”) might imply more mentally uncomfortable ambivalence.
Declension[edit]
| Inflection of ambivalent | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative2 |
| Common singular | ambivalent | — | — |
| Neuter singular | ambivalent | — | — |
| Plural | ambivalenta | — | — |
| Masculine plural3 | ambivalente | — | — |
| Definite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Masculine singular1 | ambivalente | — | — |
| All | ambivalenta | — | — |
| 1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic | |||
Related terms[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂en-
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂welh₁- (rule)
- English back-formations
- English terms derived from German
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms prefixed with ambi-
- English terms suffixed with -valent
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with usage examples
- Dutch terms borrowed from German
- Dutch terms derived from German
- Dutch terms with IPA pronunciation
- Dutch terms with audio links
- Rhymes:Dutch/ɛnt
- Dutch lemmas
- Dutch adjectives
- French terms borrowed from German
- French terms derived from German
- French terms derived from Latin
- French 4-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio links
- French lemmas
- French adjectives
- German 4-syllable words
- German terms with IPA pronunciation
- German terms with audio links
- German lemmas
- German adjectives
- German terms with usage examples
- Romanian terms borrowed from French
- Romanian terms derived from French
- Romanian lemmas
- Romanian adjectives
- Swedish lemmas
- Swedish adjectives