# paradoxical

/ˌpɛɹəˈdɑksɪkəɫ/ (US) · /pˌæɹədˈɒksɪkəl/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/paradoxical
Updated: 2026-04-25

## Definition

describing something that seems impossible because it contains two opposite ideas, but is actually true. You use this word when a result is the exact opposite of what you expect.

For teachers: containing seemingly contradictory features or qualities that may nonetheless be true in reality. Often used to describe situations where an expected outcome is inverted.

## Examples

- It is paradoxical that drinking more water can reduce water retention.
- The paradoxical nature of the policy meant that trying to save money actually cost the company more in the long run.
- In a paradoxical twist of economic theory, the sudden increase in the price of the staple grain led impoverished consumers to buy more of it, abandoning expensive meat entirely.

## Usage notes

- Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb. Frequently followed by a 'that' clause when introducing a contradictory situation.

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