of two minds
- idiom
- Informal
- I am of two minds about whether to accept the job offer or continue my studies.
And you know, I'm of two minds of, of compromise.
- And you know, I'm of two minds of, of compromise.
- So, you know, Seneca's kind of of two minds about whether you can make progress.
Examples
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We find that the United States, like Hamilton himself, has always been of two minds about the commercial enterprise.
Academic text (1993) -
Someone brought up princess culture, and I admit I am of two minds about it.
Blog text (23) -
The person is of two minds about what they feel, what they want, what they think is right for them.
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- I am of two minds about it, you know?
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Third, the new government appears to be of two minds about the arms industry.
Academic text (1995) -
Congress and the executive branch were of two minds over these developments.
Academic text (2001) -
I am of two minds on the subject of credibility.
Academic text (2001) -
Socialists are of two minds with respect to the level of U.S. crude oil imports.
Blog text (4) -
The reason I'm of two minds is that I can't decide whether my objection is principled or aesthetic.
Blog text (28) -
The record shows that missionaries, like everyone else, often found themselves of two minds—or multiple minds—about issues great and small.
Academic text (2003)
Synonyms
Not yet sure which option or side to choose
Not sure because you have two opposite feelings
Feeling both good and bad about something and not sure what to do
Feeling pulled between two choices or loyalties
Slow to choose and unsure about what to do
Antonyms
How Certain
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'uncertain/undecided' is directly derivable from combining 'two' (the number) with 'mind' (opinion/thought): having two minds naturally suggests holding two conflicting opinions. This is a straightforward compositional metaphor found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Of two minds paints a simple picture: imagine a person with two minds, each wanting something different and pulling them in different directions. So it means 'uncertain' or 'undecided'.