Word: counterintuitive (adjective)

Associations

"Counterintuitive" means something that goes against what you would expect or what seems logical at first. It is used when a result or idea is surprising because it does not follow common sense or intuition.

• The medicine tastes bad but actually helps you get better. This is counterintuitive because you expect good medicine to taste good.
• It is counterintuitive to think that adding more people to a project can sometimes slow it down.
• Sometimes, working fewer hours can make you more productive, which seems counterintuitive.

A well-known synonym is "illogical," but "counterintuitive" specifically refers to something that contradicts your gut feeling or common sense, not necessarily something that is wrong or irrational.

Substitution

You can sometimes replace "counterintuitive" with:

• unexpected (but this is more general)
• surprising (less formal)
• paradoxical (if it seems like a contradiction) Each changes the tone slightly. "Counterintuitive" focuses on how something seems wrong at first but can be true.

Deconstruction

"Counter-" means "against" or "opposite." "Intuitive" comes from "intuition," which means understanding something without needing to think deeply. So, "counterintuitive" literally means "against intuition" or "against what feels natural."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you felt something was true but it turned out to be the opposite?
• Why do you think some things are counterintuitive? How does this affect learning or decision-making?
• How would you explain a counterintuitive idea to a friend who finds it hard to believe?