paradoxically
adverb
Simple meaning
In a way that seems impossible or unexpected but is true.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
pehruhdahksuhkleeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
pɛɹəˈdɑksəkli
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adverb
In a paradoxical manner; so as to create a paradox.
“Paradoxically, ice ages seem to occur when the sun gets hotter.”
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Rare
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
This meaning: In a paradoxical manner; so as to create a paradox.
Used this way, paradoxically is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Paradoxically, ice ages seem to occur when the sun gets hotter.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use paradoxically
- “Paradoxically, ice ages seem to occur when the sun gets hotter.”adverb
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.