Conflicted

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kənˈflɪktɪd/

Definitions

1. Experiencing contradictory emotions or thoughts at the same time
2. Feeling torn between two or more conflicting emotions or ideas simultaneously
3. Having mixed emotions or uncertainty due to incompatible thoughts coexisting

Etymology: The Latin verb "confligere" meant "to strike together," combining "com-" (together) with "fligere" (to strike). The image was physical: two objects or two armies colliding. The same root gave English "afflict" and "inflict," both of which still carry a sense of striking against something. English borrowed "conflict" from this Latin source, and it originally referred to armed fighting or a violent clash. The sense of an inner struggle came later, when that image of opposing forces was applied to two incompatible feelings or ideas within one mind. The adjective is the past participle of that verb, so "conflicted" describes a mind in which two opposing forces are colliding. The emotional sense is the one most people use today, and it is comparatively recent.

Synonyms: torn, ambivalent, mixed, divided, uncertain

Antonyms: decisive, certain, clear, resolved, unambiguous