counterintuitive
adjective
coun·ter·in·tu·i·tive
ˌkau̇n-tər-in-ˈtü-ə-tiv 
-ˈtyü-
: contrary to what one would intuitively expect
As counterintuitive as it may seem, the universe has no center, and it has no boundary.—
Jim Bell
Jim BellExamples of counterintuitive in a Sentence
It may seem counterintuitive, but we do burn calories when we are sleeping.
Recent Examples on the Web
McCarthy's struggles have also opened conversations about drafting another quarterback in the first round, but that would run counterintuitive to the patient approach the organization has taken with McCarthy, who is 22 years old, so far.
—Trevor Squire, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
The perhaps counterintuitive, yet far more resilient, strategy lies in moving decisively in the opposite direction — upwards.
—Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2025
The cognitive élites are right to say that people who think about things intuitively are often wrong; on issues including crime and immigration, the truth is counterintuitive.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
Still, the idea that humans produce language with something mindless, like ChatGPT, seems counterintuitive.
—Quanta Magazine, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterintuitive
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Trevor Squire, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
The perhaps counterintuitive, yet far more resilient, strategy lies in moving decisively in the opposite direction — upwards.
—Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2025
The cognitive élites are right to say that people who think about things intuitively are often wrong; on issues including crime and immigration, the truth is counterintuitive.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
Still, the idea that humans produce language with something mindless, like ChatGPT, seems counterintuitive.
—Quanta Magazine, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterintuitive
Cite this Entry
“Counterintuitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterintuitive. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.
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