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

counterintuitively

ˌkau̇n-tər-in-ˈtü-ə-tiv-lē 

-ˈtyü-

adverb

Examples of counterintuitive in a Sentence

It may seem counterintuitive, but we do burn calories when we are sleeping.

Recent Examples on the Web

That vulnerability, which can feel counterintuitive at the executive level, is what builds the two-way trust that makes everything else possible. —Tracy Nolan, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

Something counterintuitive is happening in productivity culture. —Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026

The changing timing of precipitation can result in counterintuitive feedbacks, as recent studies in the Northeast have shown. —David Boutt, The Conversation, 26 May 2026

One counterintuitive way of using that space would be to spend it inefficiently, attempting to win a free agent’s services via a short-term overpayment. —Murat Ates, New York Times, 25 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for counterintuitive

• intuitive