ambivalent
Valid in Scrabble
- Scrabble points
- 17
- Words With Friends
- 22
- Letters
- 10
/æmˈbɪv.ə.lənt/(US)
Definition of ambivalent
2 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included
adj
-
Simultaneously experiencing or expressing opposing or contradictory feelings, beliefs, motivations, or meanings.
“In modern burlesque [...] sexual and erotic stimuli are often present in concealed and ambivalent doubles entendres.”
“The great sociologist Zygmunt Bauman argued that philo-Semitism and anti-Semitism both fall under “allosemitism”: literally Othering the Jew. He defined it not as resentment of what is different, which is xenophobia, but rather of what defies order and clear categories. In 1997, he wrote, “The Jew is ambivalence incarnate. And ambivalence is ambivalence mostly because it cannot be contemplated without ambivalent feeling: it is simultaneously attractive and repelling.””
See all 2 definitions Show less
adj
-
Simultaneously experiencing or expressing opposing or contradictory feelings, beliefs, motivations, or meanings.
“In modern burlesque [...] sexual and erotic stimuli are often present in concealed and ambivalent doubles entendres.”
“The great sociologist Zygmunt Bauman argued that philo-Semitism and anti-Semitism both fall under “allosemitism”: literally Othering the Jew. He defined it not as resentment of what is different, which is xenophobia, but rather of what defies order and clear categories. In 1997, he wrote, “The Jew is ambivalence incarnate. And ambivalence is ambivalence mostly because it cannot be contemplated without ambivalent feeling: it is simultaneously attractive and repelling.””
-
Alternately being or having one opinion or feeling, and then the opposite.
“His feelings toward his parents are ambivalent.”
Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Etymology
Back-formation from ambivalence, from German Ambivalenz, from Latin ambi- (“in two ways”) + valeō (“be strong”); equivalent to ambi- + -valent. Compare ambivert.
Words you can make from ambivalent
200+ playable · top: ABLATIVE (13 pts)
Best play ablative 13 points8-letter words
6 words7-letter words
20 words6-letter words
50 words- VIABLE 11 pts
- AMEBAN 10 pts
- BAALIM 10 pts
- BANTAM 10 pts
- BATMAN 10 pts
- BATMEN 10 pts
- BEMATA 10 pts
- LAMBIE 10 pts
- MILNEB 10 pts
- NIMBLE 10 pts
- TIMBAL 10 pts
- ALEVIN 9 pts
- ALVINE 9 pts
- AVIATE 9 pts
- LEVANT 9 pts
- NATIVE 9 pts
- VALINE 9 pts
- VEINAL 9 pts
- VENIAL 9 pts
- VINEAL 9 pts
- ABELIA 8 pts
- ABLATE 8 pts
- ALBEIT 8 pts
- ALBITE 8 pts
- AMENTA 8 pts
- ANEMIA 8 pts
- ANIMAL 8 pts
- BINATE 8 pts
- ETAMIN 8 pts
- INMATE 8 pts
- LAMENT 8 pts
- LAMIAE 8 pts
- LAMINA 8 pts
- MALATE 8 pts
- MALINE 8 pts
- MANILA 8 pts
- MANTEL 8 pts
- MANTLE 8 pts
- MEATAL 8 pts
- MENIAL 8 pts
- MENTAL 8 pts
- NIBLET 8 pts
- TAMALE 8 pts
- TAMEIN 8 pts
- ENTAIL 6 pts
- LANATE 6 pts
- LATINA 6 pts
- TAENIA 6 pts
- TENAIL 6 pts
- TINEAL 6 pts
5-letter words
83 words- MAVEN 10 pts
- MAVIE 10 pts
- MAVIN 10 pts
- VIMEN 10 pts
- ABEAM 9 pts
- AMBIT 9 pts
- AMBLE 9 pts
- AMEBA 9 pts
- BLAME 9 pts
- LIMBA 9 pts
- MANEB 9 pts
- ALIVE 8 pts
- ANVIL 8 pts
- AVAIL 8 pts
- AVANT 8 pts
- AVIAN 8 pts
- LEVIN 8 pts
- LIVEN 8 pts
- NAEVI 8 pts
- NAIVE 8 pts
- NAVAL 8 pts
- NAVEL 8 pts
- NIVAL 8 pts
- VALET 8 pts
- VENAL 8 pts
- VINAL 8 pts
- VITAE 8 pts
- VITAL 8 pts
- ABATE 7 pts
- AMAIN 7 pts
- AMENT 7 pts
- AMINE 7 pts
- AMNIA 7 pts
- ANIMA 7 pts
- ANIME 7 pts
- ATMAN 7 pts
- BALTI 7 pts
- BANAL 7 pts
- BINAL 7 pts
- BLAIN 7 pts
- BLATE 7 pts
- BLEAT 7 pts
- BLENT 7 pts
- BLITE 7 pts
- EMAIL 7 pts
- LABIA 7 pts
- LAMIA 7 pts
- LEMAN 7 pts
- LIMAN 7 pts
- LIMEN 7 pts
- MAILE 7 pts
- MANAT 7 pts
- MANIA 7 pts
- MANTA 7 pts
- MATIN 7 pts
- MEANT 7 pts
- MENTA 7 pts
- METAL 7 pts
- MINAE 7 pts
- TABLA 7 pts
- TABLE 7 pts
- TAMAL 7 pts
- ALANE 5 pts
- ALANT 5 pts
- ALATE 5 pts
- ALIEN 5 pts
- ALINE 5 pts
- ANILE 5 pts
- ANTAE 5 pts
- ELAIN 5 pts
- ELINT 5 pts
- ENTIA 5 pts
- INLET 5 pts
- INTEL 5 pts
- LANAI 5 pts
- LATEN 5 pts
- LEANT 5 pts
- LIANA 5 pts
- LIANE 5 pts
- NATAL 5 pts
- TELIA 5 pts
- TENIA 5 pts
- TINEA 5 pts
4-letter words
40 words- BALM 8 pts
- BEAM 8 pts
- BEMA 8 pts
- BIMA 8 pts
- ABET 6 pts
- ABLE 6 pts
- ALBA 6 pts
- ALMA 6 pts
- ALME 6 pts
- AMEN 6 pts
- AMIA 6 pts
- AMIE 6 pts
- AMIN 6 pts
- ATMA 6 pts
- BAAL 6 pts
- BAIL 6 pts
- BAIT 6 pts
- BALE 6 pts
- BANE 6 pts
- BANI 6 pts
- BATE 6 pts
- BEAL 6 pts
- BEAN 6 pts
- BEAT 6 pts
- BELT 6 pts
- BENT 6 pts
- BETA 6 pts
- BILE 6 pts
- BINE 6 pts
- BINT 6 pts
- BITE 6 pts
- BLAE 6 pts
- ALAE 4 pts
- ALAN 4 pts
- ALIT 4 pts
- ANAL 4 pts
- ANIL 4 pts
- ANTA 4 pts
- ANTE 4 pts
- ANTI 4 pts
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