Ambiguous vs Ambivalent: What's the Difference?
Ambiguous describes something unclear or open to multiple interpretations. Ambivalent describes a person who has mixed or conflicting feelings about something.
ambiguous
Unclear, vague, or misleading, often because something is open to multiple interpretations or meanings.
"The test question was ambiguous and several students felt confused by its phrasing."
SAT
GRE
TOEFL
ambivalent
Having mixed feelings or contradictory views about something, often resulting in uncertainty or indecision.
"The ambivalent teenager struggled to decide between two conflicting desires."
GRE
TOEFL
How to remember
Ambiguous is about the message (it's unclear). Ambivalent is about the person (they're torn). A sentence can be ambiguous; a person can be ambivalent.
Test tip
Both words appear across GRE, SAT, and TOEFL. In reading comprehension, 'ambiguous' describes unclear passages while 'ambivalent' describes characters' conflicted emotions.