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
Leaving existing coaches in place to manage those rosters that have already failed under them seems counterintuitive.
—John Cassillo, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
This prediction may seem counterintuitive at first, but smarter robots and manufacturing employment can (indeed, must) coexist in an advanced economy such as America’s.
—Eric Holcomb, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
Dividing a small bedroom may seem counterintuitive, but hear us out.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 15 Jan. 2026
The penalties ended up helping the Giants in a counterintuitive way; their scouts had to look deeper for talent, their international signing classes were larger, and two of those less heralded players, Camilo Doval and Randy Rodríguez, became National League All-Star relief pitchers.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterintuitive
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
John Cassillo, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
This prediction may seem counterintuitive at first, but smarter robots and manufacturing employment can (indeed, must) coexist in an advanced economy such as America’s.
—Eric Holcomb, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
Dividing a small bedroom may seem counterintuitive, but hear us out.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 15 Jan. 2026
The penalties ended up helping the Giants in a counterintuitive way; their scouts had to look deeper for talent, their international signing classes were larger, and two of those less heralded players, Camilo Doval and Randy Rodríguez, became National League All-Star relief pitchers.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 14 Jan. 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 26 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
