Make Your Point > Archived Issues > AMBIVALENT

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connect today's word to others: Paul Eugen Bleuler, the same heavily mustachioed and morally questionable Swiss psychiatrist who brought us the words autism and schizophrenia, also coined the German word Ambivalenz, which we brought into English as ambivalence.  He built that word from Latin roots that mean "both" and "strength." When you're feeling ambivalent, you're feeling uncertain, as if you're being pulled in two different directions by strong forces. See if you can explain why ambivalent looks like equivalent as well as our words valence and ambiguous. And, see if you can recall this synonym of ambivalent: v_____ating. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "AMBIVALENT" Ambivalent people, and ambivalent feelings and attitudes, are uncertain, as if they're pulled in two different directions. In other words, they're having a hard time deciding because they feel torn, often between two opposite choices or feelings. (And ambivalent things have or show that same kind of uncertainty.) Pronunciation: am BIV uh lunt Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "an ambivalent expression" or "an ambivalent person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was ambivalent" or "He was ambivalent.") Other forms: We have two nouns, "ambivalence" and "ambivalency;" I recommend sticking with "ambivalence." There's also "ambivalently," but it's ugly and not all dictionaries recognize it. And there's "unambivalent," but instead, why not say "firm," "staunch," or "settled"? How to use it: When you're talking about a specific choice, subject, or issue, say that people are ambivalent, or that they seem ambivalent, or that they act ambivalent, etc. You can also say they're ambivalent about something, ambivalent toward something, or ambivalent on something. If you refer to a group of people as ambivalent, you might mean they all feel conflicted, or that some of them feel strongly one way while others feel strongly in the opposite way. And you can talk about people's ambivalent expressions, postures, comments, attitudes, feelings, and positions. examples: Would Katniss rise up against the Capitol or not? The book stuck to my fingers until she resolved her ambivalence. "But Mr. Gibson, who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Royal College of Art in London, is ambivalent about being presented as a Native American artist rather than just a contemporary maker."    — Ted Loos, The New York Times, 13 July 2018 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "ambivalent" without saying "having mixed feelings" or "wavering between two options." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "It seems everyone else either loves or hates _____, but I'm ambivalent: (explain why)." Example: "It seems everyone else either loves or hates The Office, but I'm ambivalent: I'm not sure its warmth and humor are worth the painful awkwardness." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is "A Doodad Named After a Thingamajig." If I give you two categories, X and Y, can you think of an X that was named after a Y? We'll start off easy--these first few questions will have lots of correct answers each that you might think up--and we'll work our way toward harder questions that, as far as I know, have only one correct answer each. From the previous issue: Can you think of a color named after a flower? Possible answers include lavender, fuschia, and cornflower. Try this one today: Can you think of a car named after an animal? review today's word: 1. One opposite of AMBIVALENT is A. WILD. B. RESOLUTE. C. ARGUMENTATIVE. 2. In his book, Jay Heinrichs explores how speakers can move a crowd from ambivalence to _____. A. emotion B. commitment C. reasoned skepticism Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B