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
Some 30 years ago, the mathematician Peter Shor took a niche physics project — the dream of building a computer based on the counterintuitive rules of quantum mechanics — and shook the world.
—Quanta Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026
Superposition and entanglement are aspects of quantum mechanics that most of us find weird and counterintuitive.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2026
That might seem counterintuitive, but no, your water carrier doesn’t necessarily have your most recent phone number or email address handy.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
As Farhadi notes, from a physiological perspective, the fact that exercise can be so good for bowel movements might seem counterintuitive.
—Julia Sullivan, Outside, 26 Mar. 2026
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Quanta Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026
Superposition and entanglement are aspects of quantum mechanics that most of us find weird and counterintuitive.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2026
That might seem counterintuitive, but no, your water carrier doesn’t necessarily have your most recent phone number or email address handy.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
As Farhadi notes, from a physiological perspective, the fact that exercise can be so good for bowel movements might seem counterintuitive.
—Julia Sullivan, Outside, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterintuitive
Cite this Entry
“Counterintuitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterintuitive. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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