mixed

mixed — adjective

1. having both positive and negative parts at the same time, especially in relation

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

having both positive and negative parts at the same time, especially in relation to a person's emotions or to the opinions people express about something

Example

Emre had mixed feelings about leaving his hometown for the new job in Taipei.

collocation: mixed feelings about [something]

The restaurant received mixed reviews from customers who ate there last month.

collocation: mixed reviews

Common collocations
  • mixed feelings about
  • mixed reaction to
  • mixed reviews from
  • mixed opinions on
  • mixed emotions
Synonyms
  • conflicting

    stronger emphasis on direct opposition between feelings or opinions

  • divided

    focuses on people disagreeing with each other rather than within one person

  • ambivalent

    more formal; describes uncertainty within a single person's feelings

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

mixed + noun (feelings, reviews, reaction)

be mixed (about something)

Common Mistakes

The movie had mixed feeling.
The movie received mixed feelings.
'feelings' belong to people, not to things.

2. bringing together many contrasting sorts of individuals or items from various ca

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

bringing together many contrasting sorts of individuals or items from various categories at the same time

Example

The cooking class attracted a mixed group of beginners and experienced home cooks.

collocation: mixed group of [types]

Esteban bought a mixed bag of fruit that included apples, oranges, and bananas.

collocation: mixed bag of [items]

Common collocations
  • mixed group
  • mixed crowd
  • mixed bag
  • mixed assortment
  • mixed selection
  • mixed gathering
Synonyms
  • diverse

    more formal; stresses meaningful variety rather than random assortment

  • varied

    focuses on the range of types rather than their coexistence

  • miscellaneous

    often used for objects; suggests a random or unplanned collection

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

mixed + noun (group, crowd, bag, selection)

Usage Note

When used predicatively ('the group is mixed'), the sentence usually specifies what kinds are included. Attributive use ('a mixed group') is more common in everyday speech.

3. including or intended for both men and women together, rather than separating th

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

including or intended for both men and women together, rather than separating them by gender

Example

Sora attends a mixed school where boys and girls study in the same classrooms.

collocation: mixed school

The badminton club offers men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.

collocation: mixed doubles (sports pairing)

Common collocations
  • mixed school
  • mixed class
  • mixed team
  • mixed company
  • mixed doubles
  • mixed-sex
Synonyms
  • coeducational

    more formal; used specifically for schools and educational programmes

  • integrated

    broader meaning; can refer to racial or gender integration

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

mixed + noun (school, team, class, company, doubles)

Usage Note

This sense is almost always used attributively — you say 'a mixed school', not 'the school is mixed'. The phrase 'mixed company' refers to a social situation where both men and women are present.

Common Mistakes

My son goes to a mix school.
My son goes to a mixed school.
the adjective form is 'mixed', not 'mix'.

4. involving people from different racial backgrounds, ethnic groups, or religious

4.adjectiveB2
Definition

involving people from different racial backgrounds, ethnic groups, or religious traditions living or working together

Example

Singapore has a highly mixed population of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Eurasian communities.

collocation: mixed population

Tendai proudly describes herself as mixed-race because her parents come from two different countries.

compound: mixed-race

Common collocations
  • mixed marriage
  • mixed-race couple
  • mixed-race child
  • mixed heritage
  • mixed population
  • mixed-faith
  • mixed ethnicity
Synonyms
  • multiracial

    more formal; refers specifically to race rather than religion or culture

  • multicultural

    broader; includes cultural and ethnic diversity, not just racial

  • integrated

    focuses on the blending of different groups into a unified whole

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

mixed + noun (marriage, race, heritage, population, neighbourhood)

Usage Note

This sense overlaps with sense 2 (diverse group), but here the focus is specifically on racial, ethnic, or religious categories. The compound forms 'mixed-race', 'mixed-faith', and 'mixed-heritage' are commonly written with a hyphen when used as adjectives before a noun.

Phrasal verbs

mixed up

phrasal verb

confused or unable to think clearly, especially after a stressful or complicated experience

Élise felt mixed up after reading three different versions of the same news story.

Indra was so mixed up about the train schedule that she missed her connection.

mixed up in

phrasal verb

involved in something illegal, dishonest, or morally wrong

The journalist discovered that a local politician was mixed up in a corruption scandal.

Nikhil warned his younger brother not to get mixed up in any trouble at school.

Idioms

a mixed blessing

idiom

something that has both good and bad aspects, so that its overall effect is neither completely positive nor completely negative

Living close to the airport is a mixed blessing — travel is easy, but the noise never stops.

The promotion turned out to be a mixed blessing because it came with much longer working hours.

a mixed bag

idiom

a collection of things or people that are very different from each other in quality or character

The charity shop sells a mixed bag of donated clothes, books, and kitchen items.

The students' exam results were a mixed bag — some did very well while others struggled.

Word family

  • mix
    verbA2
  • mix
    nounB1
  • mixture
    nounB1
  • mixer
    nounB2
  • mixing
    nounB2
  • mix-up
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These words all describe situations where feelings or opinions are not simple or united, but they differ in focus and formality. 'Mixed' is the most neutral and widely used — it simply notes that both positive and negative elements exist ('mixed reviews'). 'Conflicting' emphasises direct opposition: one force pulls one way, another pulls the opposite way ('conflicting advice from two doctors'). 'Ambivalent' describes a single person's internal uncertainty rather than disagreement between people; it is more formal and suggests the person cannot decide which side they are on. 'Divided' shifts the focus to people having different opinions from each other ('the committee was divided on the issue'). 'Contradictory' is the strongest — it describes things that cannot both be true at the same time. For everyday use, 'mixed' is the safest choice; use 'conflicting' or 'divided' when you want to stress the clash rather than just the variety.

mixed ↗conflictingambivalentdividedcontradictory ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • mixed feelings
  • mixed reviews
  • mixed reaction
  • mixed response
  • mixed bag
  • mixed blessing
  • mixed group
  • mixed crowd
  • mixed company
  • mixed school
  • mixed team
  • mixed doubles
  • mixed marriage
  • mixed race
  • mixed-race
  • mixed heritage
  • mixed population
  • mixed-faith
  • mixed gender

Adverbs

  • oddly mixed
  • thoroughly mixed
  • well mixed
  • curiously mixed
  • strangely mixed

Phrases

  • a mixed bunch
  • a mixed lot
  • of mixed ability
  • of mixed backgrounds

Prepositions

  • mixed with

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Mixed' comes from the Latin word 'miscēre', meaning to combine or blend different things. This Latin root passed into Old French as 'mestier' and then into Middle English as 'mixt' or 'mixte'. The form 'mixed' developed in the 16th century and has since broadened from simply describing physically blended substances to covering emotional, social, and cultural combinations.