ambivalency

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Word: Ambivalency

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Ambivalency refers to having mixed feelings or emotions about something. When someone experiences ambivalency, they might feel both positive and negative emotions at the same time about a person, situation, or decision.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "ambivalency" when you want to express that someone is torn between two different feelings or opinions.
• It is often used in contexts where a decision needs to be made, but the person feels uncertain or conflicted.

Example:

• "She felt a sense of ambivalency about moving to a new city; she was excited for the adventure but sad to leave her friends behind."

Advanced Usage:

• In psychology, ambivalency can describe a person's conflicting feelings towards relationships or choices, indicating deeper emotional complexities.

Word Variants:

• Ambivalent (adjective): Describing the state of having mixed feelings.
  • Example: "He had ambivalent feelings about his job; he loved the work but disliked the long hours."
• Ambivalence (noun): The quality of having mixed feelings.
  • Example: "Her ambivalence about the relationship made it hard for her to commit."

Different Meanings:

• While "ambivalency" generally refers to mixed feelings, it can also imply indecisiveness or uncertainty about a specific choice.

Synonyms:

• Mixed feelings
• Uncertainty
• Conflicted emotions
• Doubt
• Hesitation

Idioms:

• There aren't specific idioms that directly use "ambivalency," but you might hear phrases like "on the fence," which means to be unsure or undecided about something.

Phrasal Verb:

• "To weigh (something) out" can express the idea of considering different sides or feelings about a situation.

Academic

Noun

1. mixed feelings or emotions

Synonyms

• ambivalence