torn between, be

be torn between

To be or feel equally compelled to choose between two different people, things, or actions. I'm torn between the red dress and the blue one—which do you think looks better on me? John was torn between his loyalty to his friend and knowing he needed to report the crime to the police. I know Sarah's been torn between going to college in-state to save money and studying abroad to have more of an adventure.See also: between, torn

torn between, be

Be distracted by two conflicting choices, be in a dilemma, as in I'm torn between going to the mountains or going to the seashore; each appeals to me . This idiom was first recorded in 1871. See also: torn