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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsWhat is the best word for being both horrified and fascinated at the same time?
I've looked all over and I can't quite put my finger on a single word that best encapsulates that seemingly paradoxical feeling.
Evergreen Emerald
(13,069 posts)Sorry. Its Friday.
LAS14
(13,783 posts)... too early in the day or too late in life.
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)watoos
(7,142 posts)SWBTATTReg
(22,124 posts)cause (someone) to become motionless with horror, wonder, or astonishment.
"he was transfixed by the pain in her face"
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,182 posts)Zoonart
(11,866 posts)As magnets repel and attract.
Docreed2003
(16,858 posts)The idea of being horrified and yet fascinated seems to be a deeply ingrained and ancient human trait. The concept was even described by Plato in "The Republic"
empedocles
(15,751 posts)unguarded cell phone. Horror that vital information on his phone is monitored by numerous hostile entities. Fascination that trump may be doing it, knowing putin is listening, for trump trying to assure putin that trump is putting putin ahead of America and its allies.
Leghorn21
(13,524 posts)Or not!
LAS14
(13,783 posts)RKP5637
(67,108 posts)RKP5637
(67,108 posts)TexasBushwhacker
(20,188 posts)watoos
(7,142 posts)There is absolutely no program that I click past faster than that show. I have only caught very brief glimpses of that show, don't tell me more.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,182 posts)ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)All the episodes are available on youtube, you know, so you never need to miss a single one!
TexasBushwhacker
(20,188 posts)I do admire someone who can do that for a living though. Good for her!
watoos
(7,142 posts)am·biv·a·lent
Dictionary result for ambivalent
/amˈbivələnt/
adjective
adjective: ambivalent
having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,182 posts)It seems to denote someone or something that has both good and bad qualities.
I'm thinking more of a feeling of complete disgust yet utter captivation. There's nothing real good about it, but you still are drawn in.
watoos
(7,142 posts)ZZenith
(4,122 posts)MLAA
(17,288 posts)Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,692 posts)for what you experience when confronted with something so awful that you don't want to look at it but at the same time so weird that you can't help looking - like a freeway accident involving a clown car and a semi full of buffaloes, a sumo match between Chris Christie and Rush Limbaugh, or the Trump administration. Like, My God, I'll never be able to unsee this! as you stand transfixed and can't look away.
aka-chmeee
(1,132 posts)Gobsmacked occurred to me too, but maybe we could give it some specificity and change it to GOPsmacked.
mia
(8,360 posts)Ptah
(33,029 posts)LAS14
(13,783 posts)Last edited Fri Feb 22, 2019, 03:05 PM - Edit history (1)
This felt right, and I did know German eons ago, but Google translates English translation is..... VERKLEMPT!
YIKES!!! One of my pet peeves is the inappropriate use of apostrophe s. I just now noticed that I wrote "Google translate's...." I guess I'll have to give folks the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes the mistake is just in the fingers.
bearsfootball516
(6,377 posts)Karadeniz
(22,516 posts)For an adjective meaning both attracting and repelling, it's grotesque.
bigbrother05
(5,995 posts)unblock
(52,227 posts)LAS14
(13,783 posts)procon
(15,805 posts)bif
(22,702 posts)consider_this
(2,203 posts)sorry, that is two words, but is the closest thing that comes to mind at the moment.
Aristus
(66,352 posts)n/t
unblock
(52,227 posts)ok, more than one word, but someone had to say it....
Donkees
(31,406 posts)okaawhatever
(9,462 posts)of curiosity and fascination), but I don't know any words that describe the feeling without a car being involved.
I also suggest using hypnotized with another word to capture both sentiments.
Sorry, that's all I got...